Singaporeans are top spenders on dining in region: MasterCard

SINGAPORE - Singaporeans are the region's top spenders on dining, according to a MasterCard survey of consumer dining habits across the Asia/Pacific region.

Average Monthly Dining Spend across Asia/Pacific

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 Singaporeans spend an average of $322.60 on food each month.

This is up from $261 in June 2011, outpacing most markets in Southeast Asia, and a strong indication of the nation's growing passion for food, MasterCard said in a statement.

Japanese and Chinese consumers follow closely behind with an average monthly dining spend of $277 and $250 respectively.

According to the survey, Chinese, Malaysian and Thai consumers are the most likely to post reviews onto social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter.

About 1 in 2 respondents in these markets regularly post comments online following their dining experience, while only 1 in 4 respondents in Singapore do so.

More than one-third said they regularly looked for online reviews before making dining out decisions. Singapore, Taiwan and Japan were found to be the most reliant on online reviews when selecting where to eat out.

"It is interesting to see the convergence of the growing online connectivity of Asia/Pacific consumers and their passion for food," says Georgette Tan, group head, Communications, Asia/Pacific, Middle East & Africa, MasterCard.

"Food blogs are playing an increasingly influential role in Asia's food scene, turning both locals and tourists alike to the best eats in town and placing lesser-known eateries on the radar of the keen, tech-savvy diners," she added.

Going online to check for credit card promotions available also remains popular, particularly in markets such as Singapore, Hong Kong and China where about 1 in 2 respondents do so regularly.

Across Asia/Pacific, however, the frequency drops slightly to an average of 1 in 4 markets.