Singaporeans among most well-travelled in Asia-Pacific: MasterCard survey

Singaporeans are among the most well-travelled in this region, with 78 per cent of the participants surveyed responding that they have travelled on international leisure trips in the past 12 months, according to MasterCard's latest survey on Consumer Purchasing Priorities - Travel.

Other seasoned travellers in the region are Thais and people from Hong Kong.

The outlook for leisure travel is set to remain strong, with most respondents having no intention to cut back on travelling for the year ahead.

"Only 1 per cent of respondents do not intend to travel, while 33 per cent have definitive plans to travel more in the next 12 months," the survey showed.

Regional destinations remain popular for Singaporeans, with a partiality for budget airlines as a preferred way to travel.

Over the next 12 months, 40 per cent of Singaporeans surveyed intend to travel to Australia, while 37 per cent to Japan and 37 per cent to Thailand.

If offered an all-expense paid holiday to anywhere in the world, Paris, London and Tokyo emerged as the top choice cities for Singaporeans.

Singaporeans' fascination for Japan continues, with travellers choosing Tokyo as the top desirable city destination in Asia.

MasterCard General Manager for Singapore, Julienne Loh, said: "Asia-Pacific remains a popular region for Singaporeans seeking their next vacation.

"With the burgeoning network and competitive offerings by airlines, accessibility to these countries has never been easier or more affordable.

"Additionally, events such as the upcoming NATAS Holidays, which features great deals on travel packages, will continue to inspire wanderlust.

"As a global payments company, we are well-placed to ensure that cardholders have seamless and secure access to funds while they are away from home -- whether they are travelling to the bustling city of Hong Kong or venturing to new destinations such as Myanmar," she added.

The MasterCard Survey on Consumer Purchasing Priorities provides valuable insights into consumers' discretionary spending priorities for the six months ahead.

The latest survey was conducted from March to April, involving close to 8,000 people from 24 markets across Asia-Pacific, Middle East and Africa.

In Singapore, 442 people were polled in this survey.