2026 Overseas Tourism Trends: Personal Experiences and the Role of Social Media
The global tourism landscape is undergoing a major transformation. Modern travellers are no longer simply chasing popular destinations; they now prioritise personal, authentic, and lifestyle-relevant experiences. This trend was a key focus at the ‘Xiaohongshu Business x Singapore Outbound Tourism Forum 2026’, recently held in Singapore.
In collaboration with the Singapore Tourism Board (STB), Xiaohongshu Business brought together leaders from the global culture, tourism, and digital marketing industries. The forum highlighted how emotional preferences are now the primary driver in determining travel destinations.
This shift in trends is particularly evident in Indonesia. According to data from the Badan Pusat Statistik (BPS), interest among Indonesians in travelling abroad has shown impressive growth throughout 2025. Singapore remains a popular destination due to its geographical proximity and ease of access.
Tim Zhang, General Manager Commercial Cross-border & Internet Industry Group at Xiaohongshu, highlighted the emergence of a unique trend called ‘blind box-style travel’. This concept refers to holidays with surprise destinations, driven by curiosity and a desire to experience authentic local lifestyles.
In Indonesia, this trend is being adopted by young urban generations. They are no longer relying on conventional travel guides but are instead using content creators and online community reviews as their primary sources of information when choosing everything from culinary experiences to hidden local gems.
KWONG Dodo, Regional Head Commercial Cross-border Asia & Middle East at Xiaohongshu, believes that Singapore has a very supportive ecosystem for lifestyle-based tourism. Key factors that strengthen Singapore’s appeal to the Indonesian market include:
Despite the surge in travel interest, Xiaohongshu has identified a gap between consumer needs and the availability of authentic content. Based on its Insight Framework, there are four groups of travellers with the fastest growth that the industry needs to target:
To address this challenge, Lai Sisi, Strategy Head Commercial Cross-border at Xiaohongshu, introduced a three-stage marketing strategy for 2026. This strategy includes building a segmented content matrix, strengthening destination brand identity, and transforming seeding strategies into sustainable business growth through real transaction conversions.
Through this collaboration, it is hoped that the tourism ecosystem will not only focus on increasing visitor numbers but also create meaningful journeys for each individual, from the initial inspiration phase to repeat visits. (Z-1)