Blackbox Research surveyed more than 4,600 travellers across six Southeast Asian countries—Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam—to learn more about their sustainable travel behaviour post-pandemic. The ensuing content is part of our ‘Rise of the Sustainable Southeast Asian (SEA) Traveller’ detailed study, which is aimed at understanding the trajectory of sustainable travel in Southeast Asia, while also taking a deep dive into each country’s specific insights and trends.
To gear up for the post-pandemic recovery, global economies need to rethink and reinvent the way they function and operate in a more resilient and sustainable way. If sustainable travel becomes the new normal instead of just another passing trend, it is important to understand travellers’ perceptions of it.
Our study suggests that the optimism in Southeast Asia towards sustainable travel is high overall, with nearly 7 out of 10 travellers (67%) having chosen a green travel option. While others in the region, particularly Vietnamese, Indonesians, and Thais, do so with much enthusiasm, Singaporeans appear least likely to choose such an option.
The reason for the countries scoring above the regional average, and much above Singapore as well, is possibly attributed to the abundance of national parks and nature reserves that they harbour, which are frequented by domestic and international tourists. Consequently, they are likely to be equipped with more sustainability programmes designed to preserve their natural richness, and thereby, greater awareness within the region.
On the other hand, Singapore being a densely urbanised city-state is still learning how to blend nature with urban living. Since the country does not have as many natural reserves—either in number or size—as its neighbouring countries, this could be one of the reasons why a highly developed country like Singapore shows lower levels of attachment to preservation and sustainability concerns.
The following findings are aimed at helping sustainable travel and tourism organisations strategically position their products and services within Singapore.
Singapore is yet to catch up on the trend of sustainable travel
Our research suggests that despite high expectations within the SEA region to lead the way, Singapore seems to be an environmental laggard instead, with just 28% of Singaporeans giving importance to environment-friendly modes of transport for minimising carbon emissions. The number who feel that it is important to avoid travel companies that offer no alternatives to cruises, flights, all-inclusive resorts, and over-tourism is even lesser at 18%.
In fact, Singaporeans stand out as the least interested when it comes to making sustainable choices. Only 41% of them have ever gone out of their way to choose a travel option that was marketed as more environment-friendly or sustainable.
So, what really are Singaporeans’ priorities when it comes to choosing a sustainable travel option? Our data suggests the following:
Travelling less often or in the vicinity not a priority for Singaporeans
Sustainability and green priorities can clearly be seen sliding down the priority list for Singaporeans as only 23% think it is important to travel to nearby travel spots to reduce pollution and carbon emissions.
Not just this, only 26% of Singaporeans like to stay updated with information related to responsible travel, green travel, and eco-tourism options.
Our research suggests that Singaporeans are way behind other ASEAN countries when it comes to adopting greener practices and being mindful of not harming the cultural and natural environments of a travel destination.
Awareness, access, and cost are among key barriers
There is a certain lack of awareness prevalent in Singapore in the sense that many surveyed still do not know that they can also choose more ethical, greener options while booking a holiday. Another barrier is that of access since they don’t know how to search or access a travel spot that is offering eco-tourism. Moreover, Singaporeans top the list (11%) when it comes to not wanting to spend anything on making a holiday more sustainable.
Singaporeans score well on certain sustainability parameters
While the country is overall still lagging behind in ethical tourism, our survey reveals that for over 76% of Singaporeans, it is important to visit cities/countries that put the conservation of fauna and flora at the heart of their tourism agendas. This is certainly a substantial number, but it still falls short in comparison.
Moreover, 4 out of 5 (80%) of Singaporeans feel it is essential to support small, eco-friendly hospitality options. These findings suggest that there is some willingness to embrace ethical tourism among Singaporean travellers; the real challenge however is presenting the concrete benefits of sustainable travelling in a more transparent and effective manner as well as ensuring that all stakeholders within the travel and tourism sector are playing their part in pushing sustainability.
The following provides a more holistic picture of what encourages Singaporeans when it comes to travelling sustainably:
The public sector is pushing for a rise in ‘mindful explorers’
With the climate change crisis accelerating across the globe, mindful travelling is no longer just a choice, but the need of the hour. Keeping in mind the latest trends and observations on travel and tourism in the post-pandemic environment, Singapore Tourism Board (STB) has chalked out a destination sustainability strategy for the tourism sector, in sync with the Singapore Green Plan 2030, with a focus on environmental sustainability.
“There is a rise in travellers known as the mindful explorers, those who are conscious of the environment and seek sustainable choices during their travel journeys,” says Beverly Au Yong, Area Director, Middle East, Singapore Tourism Board, adding, “Sustainability is now a top concern for many travellers and as a responsible destination, Singapore is incorporating its sustainability vision into its tourism offerings to achieve its vision of becoming a City in Nature.”
Do also check out our other country deep dives and regional overview article on the ‘Rise of the Sustainable Southeast Asian (SEA) Traveller’ study: Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam, and Regional Overview.
For more data and insights from this survey, including country-specific breakdowns of results, please reach out to Blackbox Research at connect@blackbox.com.sg.
Author: Blackbox Research Team
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