IN pre-Covid days, the March school holidays for Singapore families would usually mean a short trip to countries like Thailand and even to as far away as the United Kingdom.
This year, however, over 90% of Singaporeans are looking for short staycations during the March 13 to 21 holidays. However, hopes are for travel bubbles to allow for some travel come June when the next school holiday comes around.
Singapore residents are showing they prefer to enjoy their vacation in the earlier half of the school holidays, rather than later. Some 55 percent are looking at just an overnight stay, while nearly 40% are looking at two to three days. The duration of four or more days has dropped significantly due to the shift from regional or international travel to domestic travel.
According to travel insights from Sojern gleaned from lodging search data, China is currently the top overseas destination being considered for when travel is possible. However, this might change if another travel bubble such as the one being discussed for Hong Kong, opens up.
“Top pre-Covid destinations like Japan, Thailand, and Hong Kong are expected to see a demand spike when travel restrictions are relaxed,” said the report.
And when travel is possible again, the pent-up demand in addition to the increased hassles of travelling abroad is expected to push the trip duration up towards 15+ days.
Sojern makes the following recommendations for travel suppliers therefore:
• with the holidays just two weeks away, upweight budgets to boost reach and visibility
• incentivize travellers to stay for more than three days, using preferential rates for longer stays etc. Skew offers for the second half of the holidays if rooms are taking longer to fill up.
• monitor the Singapore – Hong Kong travel bubble to capitalize quickly on inbound demand when borders are open
Featured image: Getty Images
