EUROPE was among the top draws for travellers and bargain hunters at this year's recently-concluded Natas Travel Fair.
The biannual travel fair, which ended yesterday, drew more than 54,000 over three days at the Singapore Expo.
The top destination for Singaporeans was China. Europe was a surprise second, with Taiwan popping into the top-three list.
Europe's popularity surprised industry players and tour agents, who had observed families shunning tours to European and American cities during the past several months in favour of trips to nearby places such as Thailand and Vietnam.
The trend came in the wake of the downturn as families opted for cheaper tour packages to the region.
But going by the turnout at the travel fair, Singaporeans are still willing to spend.
Natas chief executive officer Robert Khoo said: "This shows that when Singaporeans look for bargains, it doesn't matter if it's long or short haul."
European tour packages were cheaper during the Natas fair. A typical 10-day European tour cost $1,688 at the fair, $500 cheaper than what it would normally cost.
Last year, the top travel destination had been Japan, followed by Taiwan and China. Europe was in ninth position.
Ms Alicia Seah, CTC Holiday's senior vice-president of marketing and public relations, said Europe's popularity could be due to people taking advantage of lower airfares and surcharges.
"Airfares have been adjusted down by 30 to 40 per cent, allowing us to bundle good value- for-money tours," she told my paper.
