55% of Singaporeans and Malaysians who have travelled this year plan to travel again in the next 3 months
“Same-same but different” is a very common saying when it comes to describing, or rather differentiating, Singapore and Malaysia. The two countries share a common history, identical cuisines, and boast the same melting pot of cultures and people.
However, the two neighboring nations also have plenty of differences – economic strength, natural resources, and now traveller trends and consumer behaviour.
According to a new study conducted jointly by Yahoo and Southeast Asia consumer research company, Milieu Insight, more than half of Singaporeans and Malaysians (55%) who have travelled since the start of the year will be travelling again in the next three months.
The study was conducted in March-April 2023 via Milieu’s proprietary survey community and surveyed 1,000 respondents each from Singapore and Malaysia to unveil their travel plans and patterns for the ongoing second quarter of 2023.
Here’s a quick snapshot of the study’s key findings:
- Southeast Asia is the top travel destination, especially among Singapore travellers
- Sightseeing and shopping are the top travel activities
- Discounts and promotions; convenience are the top motivators for travellers to use travel booking platforms
Different travel patterns for Singapore and Malaysia
The study reflected intriguing differences in travel preferences between Singapore and Malaysia.
For one, while 61% of Singaporeans prefer to relax and take things slow for their next travel trip, Malaysians are quite the opposite – 65% of them prefer to explore as much as they can. The latter also tend to be more budget conscious, with 83% (compared to 68% in Singapore) saying that they have a travel budget to stick to.
In terms of geography, since the start of 2023, 61% of respondents who have travelled overseas for leisure have been to Southeast Asia, which happens to be the top travel destination especially among Singapore travellers (70%). It’s interesting to note the trends in regional travel, with many supporting destinations closer to home.
The study doesn’t reveal if economic uncertainty has anything to do with it, but it’s an obvious factor to consider.
However, travellers’ appetite for new experiences have not waned, as 46% of respondents plan to travel to Southeast Asia, followed by East Asia (38%) and Australia/New Zealand (20%) in the next 3 months.
Another thing that both Malaysia and Singapore have in common is “shopping culture”.
Sightseeing (70%) and shopping (46%) are the top travel activities in both countries, but skews towards Singaporean travellers.
Malaysian travellers, on the other hand, showed more interest in other activities such as arts, history and cultural immersion (33% vs 17% in Singapore), and notably a rising travel trend – environment, climate and wildlife conservation (29% vs 11% in Singapore). They also showed much higher intention to join local activities (80% vs 58% in Singapore), such as culinary workshops and cultural immersion with locals.
Kenneth Koh, Head of DSP SEA, Yahoo says, “The demand for travel is taking flight. Brands seeking to tap into the growing wanderlust must stay informed and understand how travel preferences have evolved. Our latest study, conducted with Milieu, unveils interesting insights into consumer travel patterns – from their top travel destinations to their favourite activities and top purchase motivators on travel booking platforms.”
Speaking of booking platforms, 74% of respondents who book travel arrangements themselves would do so via travel booking platforms. These platforms are especially popular among 25–34-year-olds in Singapore (83%) and Malaysia (64%). As travellers now seek more diverse and immersive experiences, travel booking platforms are keeping pace by offering one-stop solutions to make multiple bookings across accommodations, flights and activities.
In fact, coming after discounts and promotions (57%), the convenience of making multiple bookings on one platform (46%) is one of the top motivators for using these platforms, the study says.