Young and free: Nearly half of Singaporeans have travelled independently before turning 18

PHOTO: UnsplashAh, kids these days. According to a new survey from Skyscanner, nearly one in two Singaporean travellers have travelled independently before the age of 18, with over half of them funding these trips themselves.

Let’s start with a bit of background — how old were you when you took your first self-funded or self-planned trip, and where did you go?I was 25 — just last year — when I took my first self-funded trip to the US . As for guardian-less trips, I was 13 while on a mission trip to Phnom Penh, Cambodia, and 16 when I went for a post O-Level holiday to Japan with my friends.Wow. Not counting when I went overseas to study, my first time was when I was around 20.

Another reason could be the burgeoning use of social media apps like TikTok and Lemon8. Clickbait-y titles like “I SPENT LESS THAN $XXX FOR A EUROPE TRIP” push you down a slippery slope of cheap and decent holiday plans. Before you know it, you’re posting your confirmed air tickets on IG captioned “Let’s goooo” or “go where next LOL”.

Even more intriguing is the fact that 22 per cent of young people took their first trip alone, indicating a strong desire towards embracing independent exploration, highlighting travel as a pivotal marker for their coming of age.It’s giving “Eat, Pray, Love”. Solo travel vlogs are also popping up everywhere from TikTok to IG reels, truly giving life to the saying that "travel broadens the mind".What a millennial-worthy pop culture reference, haha.

65 per cent of respondents have expressed that a key motivation for travel is to assess cities to live or work in the future.Wow, I can totally relate to this. We plan to live/work overseas sometime in the future, and right now, our top picks are Clayton or New York City, since we’ve been to those places, and really enjoyed ourselves there.

Singapore Latest News, Singapore Headlines

Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.

Nearly all Singaporeans surveyed seek purpose at work: reportpemOnly one in five find meaning in what they do./em/p pSingaporeans are increasingly seeking purpose in what they do, with 97% saying it is important for them to find meaning at work and more than half are already pursuing it, according to a survey by jobs_that_makesense Asia and Manpower.
Source: SBRMagazine - 🏆 13. / 51 Read more »

Navigating mental well-being among young Singaporeans in digital eraDPM Wong also emphasised the need to dismantle the stigma surrounding mental health, as it prevents individuals from seeking help due to shame
Source: IndependentSG - 🏆 9. / 63 Read more »

Places Of The Heart: Where young Singaporeans find comfort and inspirationIn this new series, The Straits Times speaks to Singapore's designers and residents about urban spaces that inspire them.
Source: The Straits Times - 🏆 8. / 63 Read more »

Majority of young Singaporeans embrace “buy now, pay later” payment options: SurveyThe 'buy now, pay later' trend appears most attractive to individuals with higher incomes and access to credit cards.
Source: IndependentSG - 🏆 9. / 63 Read more »

Singaporean Chef Makes History at World Young Chef Young Waiter CompetitionChef Ian Tan, a former part-time waiter, becomes the first Asian chef to win the World Young Chef Young Waiter competition with all-Asian dishes.
Source: straits_times - 🏆 5. / 69 Read more »

Vox Pop: Many Singaporeans relate financial success to happinessPerhaps money can buy happiness after all, especially if you live in Singapore
Source: IndependentSG - 🏆 9. / 63 Read more »