Tripadvisor 2020 year in review: Singapore edition

Gardens by the Bay

Family staycations, online food delivery and outdoor activities were some of the most loved by locals this year

SINGAPORE — Tripadvisor takes a trip back in time to look at some of the most loved staycations, eats and activities this past year. The onset of the pandemic has had a profound impact on travel and tourism. Despite COVID-19 concerns, 64 percent of Singaporean travellers are still dreaming about travel and looking for what’s safe and available in their own backyards.

In line with the easing of lockdown measures and reopening of many local businesses in Singapore, recent Tripadvisor site data shows that domestic bookings have increased to well above 2019 pre-pandemic levels. Our search data has shown that despite not being able to travel, our travellers are still researching, saving, exploring and dreaming about their next trip, outing or activity for when it’s safe again.

This year, we pulled the top trending searches in the Hotels, Restaurants and Attractions categories, looking for the most loved by locals. These businesses were chosen by an algorithm that takes into account bubble ratings and the number of reviews a business received from domestic reviewers in 2020.

It comes as no surprise that in Singapore, family staycations are on the rise, especially over the end-of-year school holidays and over the upcoming festive season. Here are the top 10 kid-friendly family hotels that were most loved by locals this year:

Mandarin Oriental, Singapore
Mandarin Orchard Singapore
Shangri-La Hotel, Singapore
Marina Bay Sands
Orchard Rendezvous Hotel by Far East Hospitality
Capella Singapore
Hotel Boss
Andaz Singapore
Fairmont Singapore
The Ritz-Carlton, Millenia Singapore

Singaporeans live to eat, but due to COVID-19 restrictions and social distancing rules, dining out at restaurants proved to be quite a challenge this year. Instead, we saw restaurants adapting to these changes by offering customers takeaway and delivery options. Check out the top 10 restaurants offering online food delivery that were most loved by locals this year:

MONTI
G7 Sin Ma Live Seafood Restaurant
Empress
Meat N’ Chill
ShuKuu Izakaya & Sake Bar
Prive Keppel Bay
PS.Cafe Harding
Wine & Chef
Paulaner Bräuhaus Singapore
Les Bouchons Robertson Quay

Choice in activities and experiences also saw a big shift this year. Tripadvisor’s site data saw more travellers searching for attractions and experiences that were outdoors or well-ventilated, and allowed for safe social distancing. In a recent Tripadvisor traveller survey, it was found that 44% of Singaporean travellers are more likely to pick outdoor and nature type destinations as compared to pre-pandemic. These are the top 10 outdoor attractions that were most loved by locals this year:

Gardens by the Bay
Singapore Zoo
Singapore Botanic Gardens
East Coast Park
Chinatown
1-Altitude Gallery & Bar
Night Safari
Marina Bay
National Orchid Garden
The Southern Ridges

“2020 has indeed been a tough year for Singaporeans, especially those who have had to cancel trips and shelve travel plans in light of the pandemic. It’s definitely great to see that despite the limitations of travel, Singaporeans are still actively supporting local businesses and out discovering what’s in and around the city,” said Jane Lim, VP for Global Markets at Tripadvisor. “While a lot remains unknown in the year ahead, we remain hopeful and positive that travel will recover and we will all come back to travel safely.”

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Vicky Karantzavelou

Co-Founder & Chief Editor - TravelDailyNews Media Network | + Articles

Vicky is the co-founder of TravelDailyNews Media Network where she is the Editor-in Chief. She is also responsible for the daily operation and the financial policy. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Tourism Business Administration from the Technical University of Athens and a Master in Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Wales. She has many years of both academic and industrial experience within the travel industry. She has written/edited numerous articles in various tourism magazines.