If there’s something that’s always at the top of our minds, it’s travel – but don’t just take it from us. According to a YouGov study, more than half (59 percent) of Singaporeans venture abroad for leisure trips at least once a year. But with higher costs of international travel and accommodation, the pinch is real, and Singaporeans are starting to cut back due to “financial pressures”, with a third (29 percent) of adults now travelling less than usual.
In fact, YouGov states that 65 percent of travellers are now altering their holiday plans due to expenses involved. That’s not to say that flocking abroad is off the menu completely; People are simply reducing the frequency of travel (34 percent), and heading to more affordable destinations (36 percent). Around half the travellers polled seek to travel during off-peak seasons and lock in their bookings early in order to shave off some of the costs.
As to where everyone’s headed to these days? It’s mostly Asian countries near us that are perceived as the most wallet-friendly, with Malaysia, Japan, and China being the top three destinations in order of ranking based on improved value-for-money – so don’t be surprised to hear more of those unmistakable “lah”s and “leh”s around you when visiting these destinations in the coming year.
Specifically, China has gained the highest year-on-year consideration (6.6 percent increase) as a potential holiday destination, while close to half (46.5 percent) of Singaporean wanderlusters are keen to gain another stamp from Japan in their passports. That’s not at all surprising, considering that a record-breaking number of over 691,000 Singaporeans set foot in Japan last year.
Check out more insights from YouGov’s latest travel study for 2026 here.
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