SINGAPORE, 16 January 2026: Ninety-one per cent of Singaporean travellers are planning to book an international trip in 2026, according to the global travel app Skyscanner’s latest research, in association with OnePoll.
The desire for a reset is clear: 72% want to relax and recharge, while 54% simply want something to look forward to in the year ahead.
Yet, only 60% have taken the plunge and booked their flights (this falls to 44% for hotels and 10% for car hire – often the piece of the holiday with the shortest lead time).
Destination indecision and concerns about cost are among the biggest booking barriers, with over half of Singaporean travellers (55%) still deciding on a destination and almost half (43%) still trying to find the best deals.
Against this backdrop, Skyscanner introduces a new way to unlock fast, affordable escapes to destinations, maximising value. This includes a new Cheapest Destination Planner and a list of the top 10 cheapest destinations for 2026, with all journeys under 10 hours.
Skyscanner Travel Trends and Destinations expert, Cyndi Hui, shares: “January is peak holiday planning season, with 57% of Singapore travellers mapping out their year ahead in the new year, and more than half simply looking for a much-needed moment to look forward to. But our research shows that many are overwhelmed at the prospect of booking (63%), with costs top of mind for most (69%).
“Our new Cheapest Destination Planner is designed to take the stress out of planning, helping travellers understand how to make their money go further this year. Using the planner, travellers can view the top ten cheapest destinations per month and be inspired in 2026.”
Cheapest Destination Planner
The majority of Singapore travellers reported feeling overwhelmed by the prospect of booking travel for 2026, with cost concerns as the primary factor. Additionally, Singapore travellers spend an average of 134 hours (approximately 5.6 days annually) planning.
Skyscanner’s Cheapest Destination Planner is on hand to help banish this stress, revealing the cheapest places to travel every single month, including average flight price and the cheapest day to travel. Think a wallet-friendly island escape to Langkawi, Malaysia, in February from just SGD172, a summer coastal city break to Busan, South Korea, in June for SGD329, or an autumn getaway to Beijing, China, in November from SGD456.
The top 10 cheapest destinations for 2026
Whilst two in five (39%) of Singapore travellers think their flights are going to cost more than SGD680 return this year, Skyscanner has crunched the numbers, across thousands of routes and millions of bookings, to reveal the top 10 cheapest destinations for 2026 — all with average return flight prices of less than SGD517. A whole month search on Skyscanner today reveals flights to top-rated Phuket from as little as SGD139 return this March.
Sunday is the cheapest day to fly
The cheapest day to fly? According to Skyscanner’s analysis, the cheapest day to fly, on average in 2026, is a Sunday. Only 2% of Singapore travellers surveyed thought Saturday would be the cheapest, while 28% thought Tuesday and 23% thought Wednesday. The reality, of course, is that the cheapest day to fly varies according to route and month.
(Source: Skyscanner).
