Across ASEAN, consumers in Singapore and Vietnam were the most optimistic that travel would return by mid-2021 (both 81%). Photo Credit: NanoStockk/Getty Images
Singaporeans are among the region's most optimistic when it comes to
travelling across borders, with eight in 10 (81%) expecting
international travel to resume fully by 2H 2021, according to the UOB
ASEAN Consumer Sentiment Study, which was conducted just after Singapore
emerged from its circuit breaker period.
Across Southeast Asia, consumers in Singapore and Vietnam were the
most optimistic that travel would return by mid-2021 (both 81%),
followed by Indonesia (76%), Thailand (75%) and Malaysia (74%).
Seventeen per cent of Malaysians said they thought international travel
was more likely to resume fully in two to three years at the earliest,
the highest response rate in the region for those who shared the same
sentiment.
While Singaporeans were among the most optimistic in the region about
when international travel will return, they were also among the most
cautious when it came to whether they would actually begin travelling.
Only one in five respondents said they will embark on a business trip
(22%) or go on a holiday (21%) the first opportunity they got. This
contrasts to business travellers in Vietnam where more than three in
five (62%) said they would begin business travel as soon as possible.
Even more urgent is the desire for leisure travel among Vietnamese
respondents, with one in two (54%) wanting to get away sooner rather
than later.
Given the health concerns posed by Covid-19, a key factor for all
travellers across ASEAN is having travel and health insurance cover. Two
in three Singapore business travellers (64%) and seven in 10 leisure
travellers (68%) said they would not travel without such coverage.
In related news, Singapore has recently announced that inbound
foreign visitors will now be able to purchase travel insurance coverage
for Covid-19 related costs incurred locally.