SINGAPORE, 21 May, 2015 – According to a first-time survey carried out by theAsianparent Insights on the travel habits of Singaporean families, over 80% of the families are headed away from the island for this year’s June holidays. Their top destinations are: Australia, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Malaysia, and New Zealand.

While the survey revealed that that over half of these travellers are ready to spend a tidy sum on their June holidays – SGD$500-$1499 per person – it also indicated that they would do so in an extremely savvy manner. It was found that families have varying booking patterns when engaging travel services. While McKinsey and Co’s latest report on service innovation[1] shows an increasing number of travel websites and aggregators worldwide, our survey results indicate that Singaporean travellers are not entirely convinced by them.

Interestingly, the survey found that although 53% of respondents book transportation services such as airline and bus tickets directly through company websites rather than through aggregators, only 38% of respondents book directly through hotel or holiday home websites. Aggregators in the accommodation sector seem to fare better than those in the transportation sector in terms of trust and reliability, with 45% of travellers choosing to book through travel deal and comparison sites such as Groupon, Zuji, and Agoda; and the rest booking through travel agencies.

As far as excursions are concerned, 49% travellers prefer to book directly from the company’s website.

Accordingly, Neetu Mirchandani, Regional VP of Strategy and Insights at theAsianparent Insights, “Singapore families are conscientious travellers. They’re travel savvy enough to know where to search online for the best deals that cater to the entire family. While mums and dads may be willing to spend more than $500 per family member, they’re spending wisely. Based on this study, travel service providers may want to take a closer look at their current efforts for engaging Singaporean families.”

And what should the hotels provide? The survey also revealed that the top “must-have” amenity for the Singaporean holiday-maker is free Wi-Fi at 76%, followed by kids amenities at 69%; complimentary breakfasts at 68%; and close proximity to local attractions at 68%.

Almost every Singaporean family’s travel bag holds in it over-the-counter medicine for children, mosquito repellent, bandages, antiseptic cream, and sunblock. The cautiousness of the traveller is also reflected in the high demand for travel insurance. Interestingly, the survey found that over 79% of respondents will choose to purchase travel insurance of some form. For companies providing travel packages and solutions, bundling it with insurance could provide a convenient solution for travellers, who might otherwise need to purchase it separately.

In 54% of the families’ surveyed, parents remain the key decision makers when it comes to planning family holidays. Only 22% involve their kids in decision-making. In the remaining cases the holiday decisions are made solely by either one of the parents.

For more detailed findings, please see the attached infographic below.

theAsianparent Insights

Insights is the market research arm of theAsianparent, Southeast Asia’s #1 digital parenting destination that reaches over 6 million mums every month. We are the leading market research team for understanding the parent demographic, uncovering the latest trends, concerns, and consumer preferences. Our publications provide facts that both businesses and parents can base their strategic and parenting decisions on. For more information, please visit tickledmedia.com.

[1] McKinsey & Company. 2015. Service innovation in a digital world. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.mckinsey.com/insights/operations/service_innovation_in_a_digital_world. [Accessed 19 May 2015].