Singapore

Ferry services from Batam, Riau Island, Indonesia, have been reduced to manage fuel costs. The Batam Centre International Ferry Terminal reservation officer said ferry services between Batam-HarbourFront have dropped from 16 to 12, while services to Tanah Merah dropped from 9 to 4. Batam Fast, a ferry service provider, has cut its services by 40%. All ferry services will implement a fuel surcharge of $6 SGD ($4.71 USD) for passengers departing from Singapore and 65,000 IDR ($3.82 USD) for passengers departing Batam. However, passenger arrivals from Singapore to Batam are growing, with Singaporeans accounting for the vast majority of the 257,928 arrivals to Batam in Jan and Feb 2026. Batam welcomed 131,306 arrivals in Feb 2026, +3.7% MoM from 126,620 in Jan 2026, and +24.5% YoY. The majority of Singaporeans visit Batam to buy daily necessities at a cheaper cost. A member of the House of Representatives Commission for Tourism is concerned about potential competition between local residents and Singaporeans for basic necessities such as rice, cooking oil, and others. He said Singaporeans have a higher purchasing power and spend around $300 USD per trip in Batam, which is equivalent to the minimum wage in Batam

Malaysian associations have criticised a Singaporean drama, Highway To Somewhere, for its portrayal of Malaysia as a country host to scam syndicates. The 20-episode Chinese language series finished airing on 7 Apr

Singapore-based Como Hotels and Resorts hosted 2 sailings through the Arctic in 2025, and due to its popularity, they will organise 2 more sailings in May and Sep 2026. The hotel has 17 properties around the world, especially in Europe and Asia

Acting Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs announced that the preparations for the 2026 Haj are proceeding as planned despite the Middle East conflict. The Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (MUIS) will work with travel agents and Saudi-based service providers on possible refunds for the pilgrims who choose to defer their Haj pilgrimage due to security concerns. Singapore has been allocated 900 places for the 2026 Haj

The Taiwan Tourism Administration (TTA) took part in the ADEX Ocean Festival Singapore 2026, held from 10-12 Apr at Suntec Singapore Convention & Exhibition Centre. They targeted travellers from Singapore, Malaysia, and Asia

The National Association of Travel Agents Singapore (NATAS) fair recorded over 70 exhibitors, including a 20% increase in travel agencies’ participation. The National Tourism Organisation from Mie (Japan) and Cuba took part in the NATAS fair for the first time. EU Holidays stated that travellers who are affected by postponement or flight cancellations are opting for flexibility over refunds. Over 1,500 affected passengers received full refunds without penalty. This policy has been extended until the end of Apr. At least 30% of the passengers opted to retain their funds until the end of 2026, taking a wait-and-see approach. The EU Holidays Director said a lot of their clients are willing to redirect plans to Asia Pacific, especially to Japan and China. StarDream Cruises President stated that long-haul travellers are cutting short their trips and changing their Europe and America holidays to Asia

Chongqing, China, welcomed 760,000 international arrivals in 2025, and the top 5 sources were Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore, Indonesia, and South Korea. Visitors from Southeast Asia account for 72% of the total overseas visitors

Far East Hospitality (FEH) and JTB Singapore, Japan-based JTB Corporation’s local subsidiary, will introduce travel packages between Singapore and Japan, in conjunction with 60 years of diplomatic relations. In 2025, 729,000 Singaporeans visited Japan. Singapore travellers can get packages including a two-night stay at Far East Village hotels in Tokyo, Yokohama or Osaka. Visitors can also get airport rail tickets, metro passes, and entry tickets to attractions, including Tokyo Tower or Osaka Castle. The participating properties include Far East Village Hotel Tokyo, Asakusa and Ariake, Far East Village Hotel Yokohama, and Far East Village Hotel Osaka, Namba South and Honmachi. The package will be offered during the NATAS Travel Fair from 27-29 Mar at Singapore Expo

AP Concur’s 2026 Southeast Asia Business Travel Pulse Survey looked into the top concerns of travel managers. The survey found: 66.7% Singaporean travel managers highlighted flexibility in bookings and cancellations as a top issue in their operations 61.1% identified last-minute changes and cancellations as a key difficulty 48.2% cited high costs, higher than the Southeast Asia average (38.6%) 61.8% want seamless integration between HR and finance systems 59.3% use or prioritise AI tools to optimise itineraries 42.6% rated hyper-personalisation as very important, lower than the regional average of 52.9%

The NATAS Fair from 27-29 Mar at Singapore Expo saw demand for Chinese destinations like Zhangjiajie, Yunnan and Guizhou increase by 25% YoY, according to ASA Holidays. ASA Holidays noted that it had originally planned for many itineraries to Europe, Japan and China, but pivoted after the conflict. CTC Travel noted that bookings for Greece, Morocco and Turkey have dropped by around 10% YoY, with customers preferring destinations with direct flights. Chan Brothers noted that prices at the fair have remained quite stable for destinations such as as China and New Zealand, despite cost pressures

Sarawak Tourism Board (STB) will take part in NATAS Travel Fair 2026, from 27-29 Mar at Singapore EXPO. Sarawak is targeting 69,000 visitor arrivals from Singapore. In 2025, the state welcomed 64,295 Singaporeans, +7.53% YoY and the highest arrivals recorded

Klook will conduct an online travel fair from 27-29 Mar, in conjunction with the 63rd NATAS Travel Fair at Singapore Expo. Klook will offer promotions up to 50% off for tours in China, with selected day tours priced under $55 SGD and multi-day itineraries under $400 SGD. Klook will also offer $100 SGD off cruise bookings with a minimum spend of $1,000 SGD. Klook will offer discounts for car rentals, travel insurance, and eSIMs. Flash sales will feature limited offers on attractions and transport. Klook Gold and Platinum members can get additional vouchers

Royal Caribbean’s Quantum of the Seas will homeport in Singapore, from Oct 2027 to Mar 2028, for cruises from 3-10 nights from Singapore to destinations like Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, Hong Kong, and Japan

Trip.com reported that outbound travel from Singapore over the Eid al-Fitr period increased +33% YoY. Most popular destinations were short and medium-haul, including Shanghai, Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Manila, Tokyo, Taipei, Seoul, Bali, Hong Kong and Penang. Medium-haul flights were 70% of bookings, short-haul 24% and long-haul 6%.

Cruise operators StarCruises and Dream Cruises announced they will apply a surcharge of $15 SGD per person per night due to the increase in fuel costs due to the conflict in the Middle East. The surcharge will apply for Genting Dream sailing from Singapore and neighbouring home ports, and to Star Voyager sailing from Singapore and Port Klang, Malaysia

YouGov surveyed travel preferences of Asia Pacific travellers in 2026. The Head of Client Growth for Asia Pacific at YouGov said that, “2026 will be the year of budget-friendly holidays, and brands will need to think very carefully about how they deliver value”. In Singapore, Gen Z and Millennial travellers expect to book more overseas travel in 2026 vs 2025, but 20% said they will compromise on their preferred destination in 2026, and 15% said they will downgrade accommodation quality to save money. Travellers from Indonesia ranked Japan as their preferred destination, while Singaporeans ranked Malaysia, Japan, and China. Thai travellers stated that South Korea, Australia, Singapore, and India are less attractive due to increasing prices. Singaporeans are the least likely to switch to budget airlines to save money; they will instead take steps such as early booking, adjusting travel dates, shortening stays, and being more selective about the destinations. Nearly 2/3rd of Singaporean respondents said rising travel costs will impact their 2026 travel intentions, while 13% said price hikes would not make any difference to their travel plans. 50% of Indonesians said economic uncertainty is making them reluctant to travel. 51% of Indonesian respondents said they will choose cheaper dining establishments instead of high-end restaurants

The Malaysian ringgit has strengthened against the SGD to its highest level in 5 years. The ringgit traded at RM3.0615 against the SGD on 18 Mar. Malaysia’s status as a net energy exporter helped the country to shield the ringgit from global market volatility

Ferry operators, cross-border bus services, and travel agencies in Singapore reported that they are affected by rising fuel prices following the conflict in the Middle East. They also warned that the coming weeks will be critical for the travel industry due to the high season of the Mar school holidays and the Eid al-Fitr festive period. Ferry operators cut services by up to 40% to manage rising fuel costs. Operators have imposed a $6 USD fuel surcharge from 12 Mar. Batam Fast cancelled two trips per day over the past week due to low passenger numbers, and their fuel costs have increased by 3X since the conflict began. They are working with Sindo Ferry to fill as many seats as possible on each trip to parts of Batam, like the Gold Coast. YachtCruiseSG said it costs $800 SGD to refuel a vessel, 45% higher compared to $550 SGD before the conflict. Marina South Ferries is planning to increase fares by 20%-30%

Cross-border bus service operators between Singapore and Malaysia are saying they will consolidate bus trips after the Eid al-Fitr period by reducing departure timings and optimising routes to keep ticket prices stable. Cityline Global said diesel costs increased by 30% since the conflict started. Petrol stations in Malaysia are restricting diesel purchases to 20 litres per vehicle, a drop from 150 litres previously

Some travel agencies are facing tour cancellations or postponements to Europe, as travellers are reluctant to shift their bookings to a later date in Apr. Fewer flights are going through the Middle East to Europe due to airspace closures. Super Travels is expecting to pay $270,000 SGD in cancellation costs. Around 90 of the agency’s customers postponed their European trips during the Mar school holidays. The Vice President of Super Travels said they are looking to get a refund from the airlines to mitigate some losses. Flights to Amsterdam through Shanghai or India cost double compared to flights in Feb. Travellers are choosing destinations like China and Taiwan, but due to an increase in demand, airfares to these places have increased. EU Holidays said flights to China are now 20% more expensive compared to 2025, due to high fuel prices and an increase in travel demand. The company is seeing an increase in tourists going to Asia or China, and is offering more experiential itineraries to allow them to have different experiences compared to generic itineraries

Over 52,000 flights were reportedly cancelled since 28 Feb, according to Cirium, especially flights transiting through the Middle East hub. Lightfoot Travel said new bookings for Asia increased by 35% for its global clients in early Feb and Mar. Bookings from Singapore-based clients dropped by 25% in the first and second weeks of Mar, but the enquiries only dropped by 2.5% YoY in Mar. Popular destinations for Singaporeans are Japan, China, Indonesia, and Thailand. Skyscanner shows that Singaporeans are looking for destinations like Tokyo, Bangkok, Seoul, Bali, and Kuala Lumpur. Managing Director of Lightfoot Travel said lessons from the pandemic helped the travellers to remain composed in troubled times. She added that, “We observed that many travellers were holding off on decision-making until more news had unfolded, and then they would press ahead with trips. So, while there was a pause on the decisions to commit money to travel, interest and demand were still there.” Due to conflict, non-stop flights to major European hubs like London, Paris, and Frankfurt from Southeast Asia will become up to 3 hours longer to avoid Iran, Iraq, and the Gulf states' airspace. But she said their clients are booking long-haul flights from Singapore to South Africa and Latin America as it avoids the Middle East conflict. The CEO of Michi and Co, a travel agency, is expecting more Singaporeans to visit Japan in the coming months. She added that the trend to travel beyond Tokyo, Kyoto, and Osaka could speed up. Regional Security Director at health and security risk services company International SOS expects leisure travel demand to remain resilient

The 63rd edition of the NATAS Travel Fair will be held from 27-29 Mar, featuring over 70 exhibitors at Singapore Expo Halls 4 & 5. Malaysia Airlines will serve as the Official Airline Partner for NATAS Travel 2026. Cuba’s Ministry of Tourism will join for the first time

Agoda reported a 55% MoM increase in accommodation searches from visitors in Malaysia, Indonesia, and Singapore from 20-23 Mar, in conjunction with Hari Raya (Eid al-Fitr). Popular destinations are Bali, Yogyakarta, Bandung, Kuala Lumpur, and Tokyo. Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand see a strong interest, while demand is increasing for Japan and China as well. China is among the top 5 destinations for travellers from Malaysia, Indonesia, and Singapore with a 7% YoY increase

Agoda reported a 55% MoM increase in accommodation searches from visitors in Malaysia, Indonesia, and Singapore from 20-23 Mar, in conjunction with Eid al-Fitr. Popular destinations are Bali, Yogyakarta, Bandung, Kuala Lumpur, and Tokyo. Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand see a strong interest, while demand is increasing for Japan and China as well. China is among the top 5 destinations for travellers from Malaysia, Indonesia, and Singapore with a 7% YoY increase