Top choice for S’porean women when it comes to holiday planning? Nature
Photo: TripAdvisor
SINGAPORE — When it comes to holiday planning, Singaporean women prefer seeing natural attractions rather than shopping. This is according to survey findings released by TripAdvisor earlier this week.
Almost three-quarters (72 per cent) of Singaporean female travellers surveyed said they consider natural attractions — such as national parks and waterfalls — as the no 1 factor when it comes to planning trips while less than half picked shopping as an important consideration.
Singaporean women — and other Asian respondents in general — also tend to favour short-haul flights. One in three cited Japan as a top travel destination they are planning to visit this year, followed very closely by Malaysia and Thailand. Indonesia and Australia were in fourth and fifth positions respectively.
The survey findings also showed that Singaporean women contribute financially to their trips and are heavily involved with travel plans.
Almost half said that they make all the decisions when it comes to holiday bookings, and one in five surveyed fully funded their last personal holiday – including paying for those who travelled with them.
The survey, conducted from Feb 15 to March 3 this year, saw the participation of 2,846 female respondents across the region, including those from Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, China, India and Japan.
TripAdvisor’s Communications Director, APAC, Ms Janice Lee Fang said: “It’s encouraging to see Asian female travellers breaking stereotypes and not just leading the travel planning and booking process, but also having the purchasing power.”
However, Singaporean women aren’t as independent compared to their regional peers, landing in the second last position with only seven per cent reported having travelled alone on their last trip. Respondents from India rounded the bottom at three per cent. In comparison, Japanese women are the most independent of the Asian group, with one in five travelling alone on their last trip.
Overall, Asian female travellers, including Singaporeans, feel that travel has had a positive impact on their lives, with an overwhelming 68 per cent saying that their travels have helped them learn about the world, be more open to learning and trying new things (61 per cent), and changing the way they think and the way they live their lives (56 per cent).
Almost half of the Singaporean respondents also say travel makes them more appreciative of home.
