Amid Middle East war, Singaporeans plan on travelling as much, but are changing destinations, choosing cruises

SINGAPORE: Travel demand has remained constant for Singaporeans despite the conflict in the Middle East, which began on Feb 28 when the United States and Iran started bombing Iran. 

However, the war, which quickly widened to several countries in the region, has affected Singaporeans’ choice of destination. Many travellers are now choosing to stay closer to home, choosing to vacation in destinations in Asia instead of further afield. Others, meanwhile, are opting for cruises.

This was the observation at the NATAS Travel Fair, one of the biggest in Singapore, and was held from March 27 to 29.

In spite of significant challenges to the industry, including more expensive fuel leading to higher ticket prices and airspace over several Gulf countries being limited due to the war, the fair was well-attended not only by the public but also by travel agencies, cruise operators, and tourism boards.

Some travellers are already booking into 2027, Sven Dong, the director of cruise business at Trip.com, told Travel Weekly Asia.

The president of StarDream Cruises, Michael Goh, said: “Long-haul travellers are cutting short their journeys and swapping their holidays to Europe and America over to Asia.”

Ong Hanjie, the director of EU Holidays, meanwhile, said that among the 1,500 passengers whose plans were affected by the war, at least 30% opted not to obtain the full refund that was offered, but are keeping their options open till the end of the year.

He added that many of them are considered destinations to the Asia Pacific, especially China and Japan

A Straits Times report from earlier this month also said that year on year, trip enquiries have only dropped by 2.5%, though actual bookings are down. Aside from Japan and China, it added that Thailand and Indonesia are currently popular with Singaporeans planning to travel.

Despite the oil crisis besetting Southeast Asia, there could be an upside for the region. Travel and Tour World noted recently that its “growing reliance on intra-regional travel and its strategic geographic location are positioning the region as a potential beneficiary in the long run. As airlines reroute operations and travellers reconsider plans, the region finds itself balancing uncertainty with emerging possibilities in the global tourism economy.”

In particular, Singapore, Bangkok, and Kuala Lumpur’s international airports may emerge as winners due to travellers’ avoidance of routes that use airspace in the Middle East. These Southeast Asian countries are becoming a key alternative transit corridor, it added. /TISG 

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