TRAVEL is starting to feel less like a plan and more like a pull — shaped by what people are curious about, not just where they want to go.
That shift was at the centre of a recent forum in Singapore, where China’s lifestyle platform Xiaohongshu and the Singapore Tourism Board signalled a deeper collaboration, alongside a new memorandum of understanding aimed at tapping changing outbound travel habits.
At the 2026 Xiaohongshu Business x Singapore Outbound Tourism Forum, industry players gathered to unpack how interest-led travel is reshaping the market.
Data shared at the event showed Xiaohongshu recorded around 130 million monthly outbound travel users in 2025, with most actively searching and refining travel ideas in real time.
Tim Zhang described the rise of “blind box-style travel” — driven by curiosity, new experiences and a sense of personal connection.
For Singapore, that presents a clear opportunity.
Speakers pointed to Singapore’s mix of global events, lifestyle appeal and strong service standards as key draws, especially for travellers looking beyond the usual checklist.
But they also flagged a gap — demand for more specific, authentic content is growing faster than what’s currently available.
Using its internal data, Xiaohongshu identified four fast-growing groups, including young urban travellers, parents travelling with children, and middle-class users shaping identity through travel choices — all with slightly different expectations, but the same need for more relevant content.
To respond, Lai Sisi outlined a three-step approach: build targeted content early, shape how Singapore is perceived, and convert interest into actual visits.
The partnership, both sides suggest, is less about promotion and more about keeping up, as travel becomes increasingly personal and harder to predict. – May 17, 2026
