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If packaged tours to countries in the region are as common as HDB flats nowadays, what’s next for Singaporeans looking for the travel equivalent of condominiums and landed property?
Luxury travel is not that out of reach for many Singaporeans in the coming years. A recent Barclay’s Wealth report projected that 40 per cent of Singaporean households will be millionaires in the next decade.
The anticipated demand in luxe travel experiences has led to an increase in specialised travel operators in the market. UOB Travel Planners started offering luxury tours last year. Prestigious Silversea Cruises, too, set up its regional office in Singapore in 2007.
The travel market in Singapore has come a long way since the ’80s, when week-long group tours to see the sights of Thailand, Hong Kong and the Philippines were the norm, said Susan Teng, chairman for outbound tour for the National Association of Travel Agents Singapore (Natas). Now, holidays are shorter, squeezed into long weekends, with an unprecedented zeal to escape the stresses of life in a fast forward nation.
According to the travel agents whom TODAY spoke to, it’s also more focused on the individual experience, whether it be for self-improvement, self-interest or self-discovery — educational tours, wine trails and shopping trips, for example.
“It’s not touch and go sightseeing tours anymore,” said Alicia Seah, vice-president, leisure, UOB Travel Planners. “We cater to customers who are keen to learn the culinary skills in a certain country, or how to ski and not just play with the snow.”
If it’s not free and easy, then how?
Holidaymakers hoping to avoid mainstream travel experiences are creating their own with customised tours.
When Joanne Yap, 28, and her partner decided to go to Nepal last year, their criteria for the ideal holiday were no pre-trip research, no set itineraries and above all, no tour groups. They knew what they wanted — trekking, getting as close as possible to Everest — and stitched together a programme with the help of Eco Adventures Worldwide (EAW).
“It saved us the hassle of planning,” said Yap. “And doing your own research from websites and guidebooks takes away the element of surprise from a place.” The couple trekked Nepal with only a guide to lead them.
The cost of the trip at S$2,500 was 20 per cent more than a regular packaged tour to Nepal. Yap said the money was well spent, however, as the activities were catered to their interests and abilities.
Tim Tan, managing director of EAW, has seen steady business in customised tours since the company became fully licensed in 2002. As part of its services, the EAW advises travellers on touring routes and local customs, to “eliminate the unpleasantness that people may encounter in an unfamiliar country”, said Tan.
Such holidays, he added, fill the gap between the 30-people-on-a-bus approach to touring, and the free and easy travellers who wing their way through a country.
Trade up privileges
Luxury tours, too, are on the rise as more travel agents recognise an affluent population’s need to reward itself.
Such holidays make up 15 per cent of the total sales revenue at UOB Travel Planners. Extraordinary experiences that UOB offers include trips to watch the annual migration of animals in the Serengeti, Tanzania, and to indulge in premier ryokans (Japanese inns).
Luxury travel specialist Fascinating Holidays — which started its resort-based Romance and Lifestyle packages four years ago — has seen 30 per cent growth over the past three years.
“People are looking for a holiday where they can do whatever they like at their own pace. Spa and romance trips are popular for rejuvenation and relationship bonding, especially since life in Singapore is so hectic,” said managing director David Teo.
Michelle Seth-Langbein and her husband will agree. Because of their busy schedules, the couple opt for experiences that make their time away worthwhile.
“We choose destinations that are all encompassing — first-rate accommodation, excellent cuisine and the chance to appreciate the culture of the local population,” the marketing and communications executive said. These include stays at opulent resorts such as the Banyan Tree in Bintan — “a great place to destress and rejuvenate” — and Alila Hotel and Spa in Bali, which has a “tranquil, divine setting”.
Beyond the resorts and spas — which according to Natas’ Teng are the most popular luxury travel experiences — there are cruises such as Silversea and train journeys on the Eastern and Oriental Express for veteran travellers who value the getting there as much as the being there.
And despite inflation and the escalating price of oil — both of which make travel a dear indulgence in the grand scheme of day to day living — the travel agents are upbeat.
“Travel to Singaporeans is like household items,” said Teng. “Like refrigerators and televisions, it is a necessity. You just need to get away. The getting away is the luxury. You feel like you’re in charge instead of someone else.” - TODAY/sh
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