Four Malaysian cities among top 10 most popular travel hot spots, Jakarta continues to rise in visitor popularity and London remains Singapore’s best-loved European city.
SINGAPORE – If you’re looking for a break, a short trip across the region or a staycation may do you well instead. With long working hours, but also up to eight long-weekends across the year, Singaporean residents took the opportunity to rest, recuperate, shop and eat in Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia.
No time to pack for a flight? What about a staycation?
Data on the Hotel Price Index (HPI) from Hotels.com revealed that the rates of Singapore hotels lowered by an average of 4% in 2016 when compared to 2015, providing greater value for both international travelers and Singaporeans looking at weekend break. With new boutique hotels popping up, travelers and locals can be sure to have a relaxing time being a tourist in their own city.
The short getaway
Across the causeway, Malaysia remains an ever-popular choice for those who want a short break. Malaysian cities make 4 of the top 10 destination choices for Singaporeans. The convenience of travel, its wonderful food and bargain shopping options, possibly along with the decrease in value of the Malaysian Ringgit compared to the Singapore Dollar, make Malaysia a travel destination in demand. Data shows that Johor and Penang jumped up the ranks this year, with Johor moving up to No. 7 from No. 9 in 2015, and Penang catching up three places to No. 8 from No. 11 in 2015.
Besides Malaysia, traveling to neighbouring Indonesia is another popular option for Singaporeans. Traditionally a very strong business destination, Jakarta is also quickly emerging as a popular leisure destination, moving close to the top ten list of travel spots at 11th place. The new and huge shopping mall Kota Kasablanka might have offered Singaporean shopaholics a compelling reason to visit Indonesia’s capital looking to gain some retail therapy.
Jessica Chuang, Regional Marketing Director, Greater China, SEA and India for the Hotels.com brand said, “Singaporeans are discerning travelers and according to Hotels.com TM HPITM, neighbouring cities remain a huge draw – be it for business or leisure.
“Whilst Malaysia has always been a traditional favorite destination among Singaporeans, it appears that its popularity continues to grow with Penang and Malacca joining Johor and Kuala Lumpur in the top ten outbound cities in 2016. The depreciating Malaysian Ringgit has become a significant talking point, and a clear point of consideration for travel, making a trip to Malaysia that bit more affordable.”
London, the city you will never get tired of
The city rich in history, culture and home to several English Premier League Clubs is one city in Europe that Singaporeans continue to flock to. Whether it’s the appeal of the multi-cultural melting pot of people, and food, the West-End, Big Ben, Buckingham Palace, or even Wimbledon, the city’s appeal continues to justify its former mayor, Boris Johnson’s statement that ‘London is the best big city on the planet’.
Added to the level of excitement in London, shopping along Oxford Street has never been more exciting, with Singaporeans taking full advantage of the lower rate of the Pound likely due to the Brexit effect, coupled with a 13% year-on-year decrease in hotel prices.
Rising US Dollar
Could it be the rise in the US dollar, or the uncertainty at the end of the last US Presidential elections? No US cities featured in the top 20 outbound cities for Singaporean travelers for the second year running. New York, the best-visited destination among all US cities, slipped from 23rd place in 2015 to 28th place in 2016.
The HPI is an annual report on hotel prices in major destinations across the world, tracking the movement in prices that people actually paid* for their accommodation and providing valuable insight into the reasons behind these changes. The data is from bookings made on the hundreds of thousands of hotels on the Hotels.com websites worldwide.
Top 15 Outbound Cities, and Average Room Prices of Hotels in 2015, 2016 and Year on Year Comparison
|
City |
Country |
Ranking |
Average Price of a Hotel Room per night (SGD) |
|||
|
2016 |
2015 |
2016 |
2015 |
YoY |
||
|
Bangkok |
Thailand |
1 |
1 |
113 |
115 |
-2% |
|
Hong Kong |
Hong Kong |
2 |
2 |
199 |
199 |
0% |
|
Taipei |
Taiwan |
3 |
3 |
144 |
144 |
0% |
|
Kuala Lumpur |
Malaysia |
4 |
4 |
106 |
111 |
-4% |
|
Tokyo |
Japan |
5 |
5 |
233 |
226 |
3% |
|
Seoul |
South Korea |
6 |
6 |
160 |
158 |
1% |
|
Johor |
Malaysia |
7 |
9 |
90 |
103 |
-12% |
|
Penang |
Malaysia |
8 |
11 |
101 |
109 |
-7% |
|
Bali |
Indonesia |
9 |
7 |
183 |
175 |
4% |
|
Malacca |
Malaysia |
10 |
12 |
88 |
96 |
-9% |
|
Jakarta |
Indonesia |
11 |
13 |
128 |
127 |
1% |
|
Phuket |
Thailand |
12 |
8 |
138 |
151 |
-9% |
|
Ho Chi Minh City |
Vietnam |
13 |
10 |
103 |
100 |
2% |
|
Batam |
Indonesia |
14 |
15 |
91 |
94 |
-3% |
|
London |
United Kingdom |
15 |
14 |
284 |
327 |
-13% |
This revealed by a data study on Hotel Price Index (HPI) from Hotels.com which reports on hotel prices in destinations across the world, based on bookings made on the Hotels.com and prices actually paid by customers per room per night, including taxes and fees, rather than advertised rates. The Index compares the Year-on-Year ranking of the destinations, broken into Inbound Countries and Outbound Cities/Countries, and the average price of a hotel room per night.
*Average prices paid per night inclusive of taxes and fees.
Photo caption: Malaysia remains an ever-popular choice for those who want a short break.
Tatiana is the news co-ordinator for TravelDailyNews Media Network (traveldailynews.gr, traveldailynews.com and traveldailynews.asia). Her role includes to monitor the hundrends of news sources of TravelDailyNews Media Network and skim the most important according to our strategy. She holds a Bachelor degree in Communication & Mass Media from Panteion University of Political & Social Studies of Athens and she has been editor and editor-in-chief in various economic magazines and newspapers.
