Overseas Tourism Trends Shifting Towards Personal Experiences
A fundamental change in the behaviour of Indonesian tourists when selecting overseas destinations is becoming increasingly evident for the 2025-2026 period. Based on recent data, the decisions of domestic travellers no longer rely solely on conventional guides but are heavily influenced by digital content that is personal, authentic, and emotionally resonant.
This phenomenon is driving the community-based lifestyle and social media platform, Xiaohongshu, to expand its strategic collaborations with the Singapore Tourism Board (STB). This move aims to capture the vast potential of the tourism market in Southeast Asia, particularly in Indonesia.
Lai Sisi, Strategy Head of Commercial Cross-border at Xiaohongshu, explained that this shift marks a new era in travel information consumption. “Content generated by creators on social media is now transforming. It is no longer just a travel guide, but has become a lifestyle reference and a source of inspiration rooted in real experiences,” she stated.
According to data from the Indonesian Central Statistics Agency (BPS), the flow of outbound Indonesian tourists reached 9.16 million trips throughout 2025, representing a growth of 2.45% compared to the previous year. From this figure, Singapore has solidified its position as a favourite destination, accounting for 13.4% of the total.
Aligning with this data, the Singapore Tourism Board recorded visits from Indonesian citizens to Singapore reaching 2.4 million people in 2025. This places Indonesia as one of the largest contributing markets for Singapore’s tourism industry.
During the Tourism Industry Conference 2026, Melissa Ow, Chief Executive of the Singapore Tourism Board, revealed an aggressive strategy to maintain the Indonesian market. “We are committed to strengthening connectivity by opening new flight routes from Palembang and Belitung. Additionally, we are collaborating with MD Entertainment to produce the film ‘Ahlan Singapore’, which will soon be released on Netflix as part of our creative content strategy,” Melissa explained.
Xiaohongshu identified a gap between the high volume of information searches and the availability of relevant content for travellers seeking personal experiences. To bridge this gap, Xiaohongshu is introducing a three-stage marketing strategy for 2026.
Currently, Xiaohongshu is supported by at least 520,000 travel content creators with more than 1,000 followers. The strength of this community is expected to create new trends in holiday planning while opening new economic opportunities for the global tourism industry in the future.