Despite ongoing inflationary pressures, demand for premium travel continues to soar among travellers from Singapore. According to Trip.com data, searches for first and business class flights in Singapore rose by 137% year-on-year (YoY) in the first half of 2026, while searches for 5-star hotels grew by 42% over the same period. The growing appetite for premium travel is particularly evident among travellers exploring destinations in China, South Korea, Japan, United States and United Kingdom, reflecting a growing willingness to invest in elevated travel experiences for mid- to long-haul travel.
Millennials and Gen X travellers are the primary drivers of this growing demand, with those aged 35 to 49 accounting for nearly half of all premium flight and hotel bookings for the second half of this year, while travellers aged 50 to 59 make up almost a quarter of premium flight bookings on Trip.com.
More Overseas Visitors Opting for Premium Travel Options into Singapore
As Singapore doubles down on meeting its Tourism 2040 targets, the city-state is also seeing a growing influx of travellers seeking premium travel experiences. Visitors from China, South Korea, Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia are the key drivers of this growth, making up the top five source markets for premium travellers to Singapore. These travellers also contribute disproportionately to tourism spending, spending an average of 10 times more than the typical traveller per trip. Their appetite for curated experiences is equally strong, with spending on tours, attractions and activities estimated to be four to six times higher than that of regular travellers.
Premium Travellers are Going Further and for Longer
Less constrained by seasonality and budget, premium travellers tend to take travel further and for a longer period of time. More than 4 in 10 of first and business class flights booked in the second half of this year are long-haul flights [2], indicating a strong preference for long-distance destinations among premium travellers. Japan is a destination that premium travellers frequent, with four out of the top 10 most-booked 5-star hotels located in the country [3]. Booking patterns among Trip.com’s Black Diamond and Diamond+ members also reflect a preference for long-haul destinations, such as those in Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States.
Travellers flying first or business class tend to travel for longer periods of time, spending at least 14 days overseas on each trip, close to 40% more than the average traveller. This can stretch to as long as 20 days on some occasions, based on Trip.com data.
Growing Preference for Personalised Trips and Experience-led Travel
Alongside rising demand for premium travel options, Singapore travellers are moving away from one-size-fits-all holidays in favour of more personalised travel experiences. Trip.com’s custom tour offering, which allows users to co-create bespoke itineraries with travel experts, recorded a 650% YoY growth in bookings from Singapore [1]. Gross hotel bookings for Old Friends Club, an initiative launched by Trip.com Group to cater exclusively to users aged 50 and above, rose by over 100% YoY in the first quarter of this year, reflecting the rising demand for more personalised travel offerings among senior travellers.
Experience-led travel is also gaining momentum, emerging as a top reason for travellers to splurge on trips. 63% of Asia Pacific travellers have already crossed borders for concerts, and 66% are willing to go abroad for one, based on a Trip.com Group report. Catering to this growing demand, Trip.com has rolled out a series of integrated offerings that combine concert tickets, accommodation, transportation and local attractions into all-in-one travel packages. From scoring front row seats to a sellout K-pop concert to exclusive experiences at the F1 Paddock, live entertainment is becoming a key motivating factor for travellers to book and spend more on their trips.
