Top travel trends among Singapore travellers in 2023

Ever been inspired to travel thanks to the cultures portrayed in Emily in Paris, or Somebody Feed Phil? You are not alone, as 23% of travellers have been keen on a destination after watching a TV show or a movie.

As more people return to travelling, Expedia has unveiled a comprehensive view of unexpected traveller trends across the travel industry in 2023. 

Having studied thousands of travellers and industry professionals across 17 countries, research showed the highest levels of optimism since 2020. Most professionals expect leisure (71%) and business (70%) travel to return to pre-2020 levels within two years. While travellers looking for a change of scenery kept the industry afloat during the pandemic, there was a focus on the return of international and business travel. In fact, more than half (51%) in the industry say business is their organisation’s highest priority in 2023.

More insight from industry professionals shows travellers are choosing options aligned with their personal values such as sustainability, inclusivity, and accessibility. Most travel businesses (60%) made changes in the last year to ensure their services are inclusive and accessible. In fact, sustainability is tied with marketing as the highest area of investment for 2023, with one in five industry professionals saying they plan to invest in sustainability next year.

The following are some notable trends amongst travellers Expedia has noticed: 

Set-jetters

You can expect to see more people booking a trip based off a popular new series in 2023, the findings revealed. According to the research, streaming movies and TV shows have influenced Singaporeans’ travel decision-making, with 35% admitting that the influence had increased in the last 12 months. Specifically, nearly one in four (23%) say that watching a series or movie is most likely to pique their interest in travelling to that destination, even more than social media influencers (16%).

In fact, more than three-quarters (76%) of travellers in Singapore have considered visiting a destination after seeing it on a show or movie on a streaming platform, and one in two have actually made a booking. Shows or movies that are set in outdoor destinations with "mind-blowing landscapes" (41%) and beach destinations (40%) were found to impact Singaporeans’ travel destination decisions the most.

By country, Japan (40%) and South Korea (39%) are the top two destinations Singaporeans consider visiting, with the influence of popular Asian series and movies.

Culture capitals

While national parks and rural retreats were popular the past two years, cities are seeing a comeback.

Based on traveller demand, most of the destinations seeing the largest increases are culture-rich cities where arts & culture festivities are getting back to full swing. Namely, the top culture capitals to see in 2023 are as follows: 

• Edinburgh, Scotland
• Lisbon, Portugal
• Tokyo, Japan
• Dublin, Ireland
• New York, USA
• Sydney, Australia
• Dubai, UAE
• Montreal, Canada
• Munich, Germany
• Bangkok, Thailand

Additionally, with Singapore travellers drawing inspiration from their favourite streamed content, culture capitals that feature the backdrop of popular streamed TV shows and movies top the list of popular destinations Singaporeans are looking to travel to this year.

Top 10 popular destinations for travel in 2023

1. Bangkok, Thailand
2. Tokyo, Japan
3. Seoul, South Korea
4. Bali, Indonesia
5. Maldives
6. Hokkaido, Japan
7. Phuket, Thailand
8. London, United Kingdom
9. Paris, France
10. Johor, Malaysia

For travellers looking beyond the small screens for inspiration, they may consider the following top 10 trending destinations in 2023:

1. Da Nang, Vietnam
2. Pahang, Malaysia
3. Lucerne, Switzerland
4. Langkawi, Malaysia
5. Brisbane, Australia
6. Perth, Australia
7. Hanoi, Vietnam
8. Krabi, Thailand
9. Busan, South Korea
10. Jeju Island, South Korea

Image / Shutterstock