Top Emerging Travel Destinations for 2019 by Skyscanner

Skyscanner releases its Asia-Pacific (APAC) Travel Trends Report 2018 showing the booking habits of Singaporean travellers. These top emerging destinations for 2019 have seen the biggest year-on-year search growth, showing Singaporeans are now shying away from the usual capital cities and opting to venture out to explore lesser-known cities.

1. Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

Skyscanner found that 71% of Singaporeans cited rest and relaxation as a key motivator for travel, and research from Willis Towers Watson echoed the point: 44% of local employers identified stress as the number one health issue, and 60% of employees admitted having above average or high levels of stress, making rest and relaxation during their vacation a top priority for Singaporean travellers.

With It comes as no surprise that travellers are opting for off-the-beaten-path destinations like Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia – home to attractions such as Gandan Khiid, a Buddhist monastery which full name Gandantegchinlen, roughly translating to “the great place of complete joy”.

2. Okinawa and Hiroshima

Okinawa and Hiroshima both saw strong growth of 102% and 170% respectively, likely owing to the introduction of direct flights to both cities, making travelling to other parts of Japan much easier for Japan-lovers.

3. Kuching, Malaysia and Padang, Indonesia

While Malaysia and Indonesia on a whole might be familiar ground for Singaporeans, travellers are now venturing further from the capital states of Kuala Lumpur and Jakarta for something a little different. Enter the Borneo city of Kuching in Malaysia and the coastal city of Padang in Indonesia, which saw a share growth of 22% and 137% respectively – maintaining strong intra-ASEAN travel for Singaporeans.

4. Athens and Berlin

Both Athens and Berlin saw strong growth, with 26% and 111% respectively. Scoot has reported over 300 flights and over 80,000 passengers to Athens, while the introduction of direct flights to Berlin also opened up cheaper entry points to Europe for many travellers.

5. Fujian, China

Jinjiang, a small county in the Fujian province in China, saw a strong 174% growth spurt in 2018 among Singaporean travellers, jumping over 55 spots from the year before. Located just across the river from Quanzhou, Jinjiang is the closest airport to Quanzhou, a major city that was once part of the Maritime Silk Road and largest port in Asia during the Song and Yuan dynasties.

Interesting insights include:

Commenting on the results, Robyn Lee, Senior Growth Manager for Skyscanner, shared:

“The report revealed that Singaporeans are inspired by a plethora of different sources – from family and friend recommendations to destinations featured on the latest TV series – fuelling their love for travel.

“With Skyscanner’s wide range of flight, accommodation and car rental options, we are in a unique position to help Singaporeans travel further at the best prices and visit someplace new in 2019.”

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