Xiaohongshu Business x Singapore Outbound Tourism Forum Aims to Reshape Overseas Travel Paradigms
Singapore, (ANTARA/PRNewswire) - Xiaohongshu Business recently held the 2026 Xiaohongshu Business x Singapore Outbound Tourism Forum in Singapore. In addition to industry players and global cultural and tourism experts, the event was also attended by representatives from the Singapore Tourism Board. Participants engaged in in-depth discussions about new trends in travel, which are increasingly influenced by personal preferences. At the same time, participants explored new opportunities for the overseas tourism market.
Shifting Tourist Mindsets: Personal Interests Dictate Holiday Plans
Travel patterns are now undergoing major changes. Modern tourists no longer travel to visit specific destinations but pursue interests and experiences that align with their personal preferences. According to Xiaohongshu data from January–December 2025, the number of monthly active users on the platform who are travelers planning overseas trips reached 130 million. More than 90% of active users search for travel-related information.
According to Tim Zhang, General Manager, Commercial Cross-border & Internet Industry Group, Xiaohongshu, the “blind box-style travel” trend is growing due to three main motivations: the need for emotional resonance, curiosity about new experiences, and interest in local lifestyles. These factors can serve as a reference for Singapore to meet the needs of Chinese tourists and unlock new market potential.
Lifestyle-Based Trends Drive Transformation of More Personalized Overseas Tourism Services
KWONG Dodo, Regional Head, Commercial Cross-border Asia & Middle East, Xiaohongshu, highlighted several key changes in international tourist trends in Singapore. As a major destination in the Asia Pacific region that regularly hosts world-class sporting events and large-scale entertainment shows, Singapore has high appeal for repeat visits. In addition, its relaxed urban lifestyle and premium services are considered capable of meeting tourists’ needs for more meaningful travel experiences. This also opens up great opportunities for the development of premium health tourism. Furthermore, Singapore’s unique lifestyle is now an important consideration that influences tourists’ decisions before traveling. As such, Singapore’s position as one of the world’s leading exploratory tourism hubs is further strengthened.
Based on Xiaohongshu’s special Insight Framework, Kwong Dodo also presented four consumer groups with the fastest growth in the overseas tourism sector. Young urban generations traveling with their parents show significant growth. Meanwhile, users aged 19–25 rely heavily on instant travel information searches, even though the available content is still limited. In addition, the middle-class group with lifestyle-based evening consumption preferences is also growing rapidly. However, their need for more personalized tourism content is considered unmet. Modern parents who value their children’s development are part of the 20 million monthly active users on the Xiaohongshu platform, while authentic travel content from a mother’s perspective is still relatively limited. (Data source: Xiaohongshu Insight Search Index × Category Heat Base Table | Analysis period: throughout 2025)
The four tourist demographics point to one common conclusion: the tourism content currently available is no longer able to keep up with changing consumer needs. Therefore, industry players must bridge the gap between demand and content availability while also enriching high-quality tourism services. These two things will be the main focus in Singapore’s cultural and tourism industries going forward.
Three-Stage Marketing Strategy to Drive Mutually Beneficial Growth
Based on consumer behavior analysis, Lai Sisi, Strategy Head, Commercial Cross-border, Xiaohongshu, introduced a three-stage marketing strategy for Singapore’s overseas tourism sector in 2026. First, leverage its advantage as an industry pioneer by developing segmented content matrices through more targeted distribution based on audience groups. Second, build brand perception by creating a distinct Singaporean brand identity to shape tourist expectations and consumption patterns. Third, drive mutually beneficial growth by transforming seeding strategies into tangible commercial performance while creating a sustainable growth cycle for the tourism industry.
This event marks an important moment in the collaboration between Xiaohongshu Business and the Singapore Tourism Board, as well as presenting new opportunities for developing content ecosystems and business conversion in the overseas tourism industry. In the future, strengthening seeding strategies requires collaboration from all industry players. Closer cooperation is expected to be a new starting point for cross-sector collaboration in the cultural and tourism industries.
SOURCE Xiaohongshu