Hari Raya Puasa, traditionally celebrated with gatherings of family and friends, is now a major moment driving demand for international travel. According to Trip.com, international travel bookings by Singaporeans for this year’s Hari Raya Puasa season (29 March to 6 April 2025) grew by over 60% compared to the year before (6 to 14 April 2024). The latest insights, drawn from Trip.com booking data, also showed that Singaporeans increasingly favouring secondary cities and further-flung destinations, as well as theme park attractions while taking longer overseas trips for their Hari Raya travels.
“Hari Raya Puasa is a cherished festive season, where family, community and faith take precedence over other pursuits. As Singaporeans increasingly prioritise travel with their families during this special season, they are also approaching travel with greater intent, blending meaningful reunions with a desire to explore newer destinations,” said Edmund Ong, General Manager, Trip.com Singapore. “As traveller preferences become more varied, Trip.com is focused on making travel discovery, planning and booking easier for our users by leveraging our cutting-edge technology and Trip.Best lists, so that travellers can focus on enjoying their travels and relishing the moments that truly matter.”
Secondary cities, long-haul destinations grow in popularity for Hari Raya Travels
While places closer to home like Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur continued to top the list of most popular destinations among travellers from Singapore, secondary cities like Guangzhou and Osaka have surged in popularity – entering the list of top 10 destinations for Singaporeans during Hari Raya season for the first time (Table 1). In addition, demand for travel to destinations like Chongqing, Chengdu, Busan, Shenzhen, Xiamen and Ipoh more than doubled year-on-year (Table 2), showing Singaporeans’ desire to head down paths less travelled for new discoveries and experiences.
| Top 10 International Destinations (Cities) for Singapore Travellers | International Destinations with the Biggest Growth in Travel Demand Among Singapore Travellers | ||||
| 1 | Bangkok | 1 | Chongqing* | 347% | |
| 2 | Kuala Lumpur | 2 | Chengdu* | 343% | |
| 3 | Seoul | 3 | Kunming* | 255% | |
| 4 | Tokyo | 4 | Seoul | 235% | |
| 5 | Shanghai | 5 | Busan* | 231% | |
| 6 | Taipei | 6 | Osaka* | 229% | |
| 7 | Manila | 7 | Johor Bahru* | 209% | |
| 8 | Hong Kong | 8 | Shenzhen* | 195% | |
| 9 | Guangzhou* | 9 | Xiamen* | 186% | |
| 10 | Osaka* | 10 | Ipoh* | 184% | |
| *New addition to the top 10 list in 2025 | *Secondary cities | ||||
| Table 1 | Table 2 | ||||
Beyond visiting destinations in Asia Pacific, Singaporeans also venturing further – bookings for travel to Spain, Switzerland, France, Italy, United Kingdom, Canada and Germany during the 2025 Hari Raya season more than tripled compared to the year before. Some took their journeys even further to Lima, Peru – the furthest destination booked by a Singapore traveller this Hari Raya. This signals a shift in preferences, with Singaporeans venturing to further-flung destinations rich in culture, nature and novelty.
Singaporeans taking longer trips, with a penchant for visiting theme park attractions
This year, Singaporeans are taking longer trips, with the average trip length rising to 9.19 days in this year’s Hari Raya season from 8.38 days last year. Trip.com’s data revealed that Singaporean travellers spent 5.9% more on international flights and hotels compared to the same period last year, signalling continued interest in seeking value for money on their trips.
When it came to experiences, theme park attractions stood out as clear favourites among Singaporean travellers. Four in five of the most popular attractions booking for this year’s Hari Raya travels are for major theme parks in the Asia Pacific region (Table 3). These attractions continue to resonate with Singaporeans for their blend of family-friendly entertainment and iconic urban views.
| Top 5 Attractions Among Singapore Travellers | |
| 1 | Universal Studios Japan* |
| 2 | Haeundae Blueline Park* |
| 3 | SHIBUYA SKY |
| 4 | Hong Kong Disneyland* |
| 5 | Shanghai Disney Resort* |
| *Theme park attractions | |
| Table 3 | |
