Millennials in Singapore are disrupting traditional travel models and influencing travel, said a new global study from travel data platform ADARA.
The research showed that Singaporean millennials are dedicated travellers who prioritise travel above any other expense, savvy bargain hunters who are willing to spend on great experiences and amenities, and adventure seekers who like to go off-the-beaten path.
Additionally, these young travellers are also influencing travel in helping their inner circles with advice, planning and, in some cases, bookings.
The study revealed millennials in Singapore are more likely to use digital resources such as travel blogs to plan and book travel, when compared to their older counterparts – 42% vs 29% among those 35+.
The comprehensive study was conducted among 3,000 millennial travellers aged between 18 and 34 years old, and 35+ year olds in the US, UK, France, Australia, Hong Kong and Singapore alongside research partner Db5.
The research also found that:
- Unlike their counterparts in the US, millennials in Asia Pacific are more likely to book flights through airline websites (56% in Singapore, 45% in Hong Kong, 44% in Australia vs 34% in the US).
- They are more likely to book hotels through general travel websites (67%) vs 19% on hotel sites.
- They are not loyal to airlines, half of those surveyed (43%) do not think it is worthwhile to sign up for loyalty programmes.
Singaporean millennials are willing to spend for experiences. (Image credit: Everste/iStock)
Planning ahead to get best experience and price
According to the study, 82%of Singaporean millennials prioritise price over airlines when choosing a flight versus 71% of those over 35+.
The youngsters also tend to plan ahead compared to older travellers, searching for flights 13 days in advance of booking the flight, compared to nine days, to ensure that they get the experience at the best price.
Hotel searches are no different, with a longer window of eight days prior to booking compared to six days for older travellers.
The data also reveals that Singaporean millennials fly more and opt to travel front of cabin (25% of flights), highlighting that they have disposable funds to spend on favoured luxuries. This is higher than those surveyed in Hong Kong (23%), but lower than those in Australia (39%).
Additional revelations:
- 43% of Singaporean millennials are willing to pay for upgrades, compared to 40% of 35+ year olds and are more likely to purchase amenities in-flight.
- 42% (highest globally) of those surveyed have stayed in a house or apartment rental, such as Airbnb) in the past year compared to only 33% of those 35+.
- 90% have stayed in hotels, a number comparable to those 35+ (87%).
ADARA said the findings proved that marketers need to adapt their campaigns to reach this audience.
“Our research shows Singaporean millennials are interesting to travel brands in ways they may not have data to support. They are travel influencers, helping friends and family make purchase and brand decisions. As a group, they are savvy shoppers who are willing to splurge on the right experiences from extra leg room to a cooking class in a new destination,” said Elizabeth Harz, president of media and CMO at ADARA.
Download the full report here.
• Featured image credit (young travellers): Jacob Ammentorp Lund/iStock