Business travellers in Singapore have rated Tokyo and Bangkok as their top business and leisure travel destinations, in a study conducted by YouGov for luggage brand Samsonite.
The Samsonite Smoother Journeys study also found that Hong Kong is Singapore’s third-favourite business destination, while London ranked third for leisure travel. Mumbai, Bangalore and Jakarta were the least popular, according to more than 500 respondents who participated in survey.
London and Tokyo tied for the top spot among business travellers aged under 34, while Tokyo was the top choice for those between 35 and 44 years old, and those over 45 preferred Bangkok.
The Samsonite Smoother Journeys study was undertaken to find out what drives Singapore business travellers, as well as some of the things they liked – and didn’t like.
Overall, Samsonite found that one in five (22%) of Singaporeans enjoy overseas business travel a lot, 30% like it a little, and 37% are ambivalent.
“The Smoother Journeys survey revealed some surprising insights,” said Satish Peerubandi, general manager – Samsonite Singapore, Malaysia, Philippines & IndoChina. “For starters, we were surprised to see how strongly Asian cities did. We were also happy to see that a majority enjoyed business travel, even as it has a reputation for being tough for those who travel often. Only 11% of respondents said they did not enjoy business travel, with the majority liking it for the opportunities it brings.”
The advantages of business travel
The study found that many Singapore business travellers enjoy the opportunity to visit new places (94%), leave Singapore for a short while (91%), and work in new environments (88%).
While 60% said they believe they travel “just the right amount”, many still crave for their home comforts. Being apart from family and the fear of missing out on what is happening at home topped the reasons for people disliking business travel, at 57% and 41% respectively.
How business travellers manage stress
Business travellers identified traffic jams, flight delays and airport transfers as the most significant stress creators. When it comes to things they have control over, factoring in downtime and more effective packing and luggage are essential, they said. The study found that those who enjoy business travel are also those who are more likely to undertake activities that will help alleviate stress.
Many also allow for time to go to the gym or to shop, while close to half said they like to plan time for meals with colleagues or friends.
For a significant majority, efficient and effective packing was seen as a critical method to help ease stress, while many said that having a proper bag with easy access to laptops and toiletries when passing through airport security would improve their experience.
Other key findings of the survey include:
- Younger women are more likely to travel then younger men (46% vs 26%).
- About half (52%) of business travellers spend an average of three to four days on business trips.
- Four in five admitted to working on the plane for some part of the flight, while 35% of business travellers put their time in the skies to productive use by working either 50% of the time or more.
- Looking professional while travelling for work is essential for Singapore’s business travellers. Fifty-three per cent of travellers said they wore business attire while flying either half of the time or more, of which 75% said this was because they would go straight from the airport to work meetings.
