New Study Reveals Top 20 Perfect Moments to Experience on Holiday According to Singaporean Travellers
The formula for creating the most memorable holiday includes meeting new people, trying new things and seeing a famous landmark.
(Singapore May 2023) Research of 500 Singaporean holidaymakers aged 18-34 found 37 percent felt stepping out of your comfort zone was important for an unforgettable trip, wanting to push their boundaries at least three times. While travelling with a group of at least four people and enjoying a minimum of four new experiences was seen as important. Nearly a third (32 percent) believe making new friends is key, with a memorable break involving meeting a minimum of two people.
And at least four new dishes should also be tried, with 66 percent considering tucking into the local cuisine a key factor for a great break. It also emerged an outstanding trip will see those from Singapore take 73 photos and 14 videos to capture the four ‘perfect moments’ they want to experience.
Respondents have been on an average of five truly memorable trips each, while 21 percent of those who have travelled solo feel these holidays created more memories than any other. Rachel Storey, brand director of social travel company for 18-35 year olds, Contiki [https://www.contiki.com/en-sg/activity/make-every-moment-count/sg-survey], which commissioned the research, said: “The reason we travel is, at its core, to create memories – whether it’s from that perfect moment or trying something new out of your comfort zone. “Exploring a new destination and culture is opening yourself up to the unknown with the potential to create memories that can last a lifetime when you make every moment count.”
The research also found 56 percent of Singaporean travellers believe spending time with people physically on holiday is more important than ever, due to today’s increasingly virtual world. While 36 percent consider a memorable vacation to be more important than previously due to their current work/ life balance, and 34 percent feel they need to make every moment count when travelling thanks to increased work pressure. Nearly half (47 percent) feel so strongly about this that they would quit a job that didn’t allow them to take the time off they needed for an unforgettable trip.
It also emerged 43 percent pick their travel destinations based on the experiences they might have while there and 36 percent have a vacation bucket list of moments they want to tick off. As a result, 60 percent have tried to plan a ‘perfect’ moment while away, like a glorious sunset or catching animals in their natural habitat.
But 63 percent prefer a perfect moment to happen naturally or organically, rather than be something which is engineered. And 84 percent even believe it’s the imperfect or unexpected moments that can make a holiday more memorable. More than half (52 percent) of those polled, via OnePoll, in Singapore also prefer to post a completely authentic image on social media – showing the good and the bad – rather than a perfectly staged image with filters (16 percent).
It also emerged 39 percent consider a memorable holiday to be more important than ever due their current work/ life balance, while 38 percent feel they need to make every moment count when travelling thanks to increased work pressures. With 43 percent feeling so strongly about this that they would consider quitting a job that didn’t allow them to take the time off they needed for an unforgettable trip.
Rachel Storey, from Contiki, added: “When you reflect on trips from the past, it’s often the moments you couldn’t have imagined, that leave the deepest impact. Whether it’s a moving encounter with a local, making a new friend, ordering an unusual item in a restaurant, or taking a leap of faith on a new activity - the ultimate souvenir is the memories you make along the way.”
A video with the key study results is available for download on this link
Top 20 Perfect Moments to Experience on Holiday According to Singaporean Travellers
1. Drinks or food with a view
2. Watching a sunrise or sunset with your friends or family
3. Seeing a famous landmark
4. Ticking something off your bucket list
5. Something funny that becomes a story to tell for years to come
6. Trying the local delicacy which is considered unusual at home
7. Doing something that takes you out of your comfort zone
8. Getting a full tour of a beautiful city
9. Some kind of joke or funny event which goes onto become a running joke among your friends or family
10. Finding the ideal souvenirs/gifts
11. Making a connection with a local person/ group of people
12. Getting a tour around a local town or village
13. Making a new friend
14. Doing something adrenaline-spiking, such as bungee jumping or parachuting
15. A holiday romance kiss
16. Climbing a mountain
17. Seeing animals in their natural habitat
18. Taking a detour or getting lost and finding an empty beach or amazing view
19. Being proposed to/ proposing to someone/ witnessing a proposal
20. Swimming in the sea
