Budget travel with a luxury element or else “Splurget Travel” is on rise among Singaporeans according to Skyscanner Singapore
SINGAPORE – Skyscanner Singapore has found* that almost four in five (78 percent) Singaporeans are opting for ‘Splurget travel’, as an alternative to the traditional budget holiday. This emerging travel trend describes a hybrid holiday that is planned on a tight budget, but also includes a splurge on a luxury element.
What are Singaporeans splurging on?
If you thought that Singaporean travellers are all about food, then think again. When abroad, a quarter of Singaporeans (26%) would splurge as much on one-off luxurious activities as on food. Will spa trips become the new Michelin-star dinners in this experience economy?
- Activities and experiences, such as spa trip or private tours (26%)
- Food, e.g. dining at a Michelin-starred restaurant (26%)
- Accommodation, e.g. one night at a luxury hotel (20%)
Although shopping has now become “a main motivation for travel”, surprisingly, only 12 percent of Singaporeans are willing to splurge on buying luxury items when abroad.
- What are Singaporeans scrimping on?
Flights, on the other hand, was an area Singaporeans are most willing to save on. Almost a third (28%) indicated they would save on flights by booking a budget airline, taking a red-eye flight, or enduring multiple stopovers if it meant they had more money for food on their holiday.
- Flights, e.g. budget carriers, red-eye flights, multiple stopovers (28%)
- Accommodation, e.g. hostels, Airbnbs, cheap hotel deals (23%)
- Shopping, e.g. taking pictures instead of buying souvenirs (15%)
How to get the most while splurget travelling?
Travel out of peak season or during shoulder season – prices tend to be lower during off-peak and chances are, you will likely be less bothered by other tourists, score a whole row of seats on the plane, or an entire resort to yourself.
Make use of Price Alerts to grab the best airfares – find out the cheapest time to fly to your ideal holiday destination here. Also, multi-city trips can be cheaper than you might think – a great hack to see more of your destination compared to a simple return flight.
Consider adding a stopover – and you could even see two cities for the price of one. With airport upgrades happening all over the world, stopovers are more appealing than ever, especially if you are looking to save some money.
*The insights from this study are based on 503 responses gathered from an online survey conducted by Skyscanner Singapore to better understand booking preferences and perceptions of Singaporean travellers.
TravelDailyNews Asia-Pacific editorial team has an experience of over 35 years in B2B travel journalism as well as in tourism & hospitality marketing and communications.