S’poreans took average of 5.2 trips in the last 12 months: Criteo

SINGAPORE - Life in the little red dot can get stressful at times and it’s no surprise that Singaporeans are crazy about travel, even if it’s only a short getaway to recharge one’s energies.

Singaporeans took an average of 5.2 trips in the last 12 months, with almost half of the trips lasting just three to six days, a survey commissioned by performance marketing technology company Criteo showed on Friday (April 28). Among the other key findings, 52 per cent of Singaporeans booked their trips between one and four months before departure, and they are most likely to do so while at home (79 per cent) on a weekend, although they would already have browsed on weekdays (56 per cent).

The biggest driver for online booking is convenience, with 88 per cent citing a combination of factors such as time-saving (54 per cent) and being more convenient than a phone or physical booking (54 per cent), the survey showed. Price also plays a big part in the shift towards online travel purchases, with 44 per cent of respondents believing that online travel providers and online travel agents offer a better deal.

Half of all online travel purchases are for accommodation and air travel, the survey showed. When purchasing online, Singaporeans are most likely to book directly via websites or apps of the airlines and/or lodging (52 per cent) as it would be easier to change or cancel their bookings (47 per cent). They also make direct purchases through online travel agents (37 per cent).

“Singaporeans are tech-savvy travellers who are browsing seamlessly across multiple devices to find the best deal before making their purchase. Travel websites and online travel agents need to focus on providing a mobile experience that is user-friendly, easy to navigate, has add-on features and secure payment methods. To drive transactions, they need to engage with shoppers during the discovery, search and booking phases,” said Mr Alban Villani, General Manager, Criteo Southeast Asia, Hong Kong and Taiwan.

Online travel sales have grown at 7.1 per cent compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) from 2011 to S$6 billion last year, Criteo said. Expenditure on leisure and recreation is expected to increase at a CAGR of 3.2 per cent from 2017 to 2020. Mobile travel sales have accelerated and are expected to see 19.6 per cent CAGR from 2017 to 2020, Criteo added.