According to fresh research from Amadeus, Singaporeans are striding towards biometric gateways.
The study, Connected Journeys: How Technology Will Transform Travel in the Next Decade, finds that 79% of local respondents would use biometric gateways to replace repeated document checks at check-in, immigration, and boarding, well ahead of the 69% global average.
As a smart-nation hub with a taste for efficiency, Singapore is unsurprisingly bullish on frictionless travel. Travellers here value practical wins: 36% like biometric security to speed up queues, a third want real-time traffic and arrival updates, and 62% would even check luggage from home rather than wrestle with it kerbside. The appetite for a single “super app” is real too; 32% prefer one place to corral flights, hotels, and onward transport, mirrored by business travellers who also prize smarter luggage tracking and consolidated tools.
Usage of generative AI for trip planning has nearly doubled (from 11% in 2024 to 20% this year) with 92% of users citing tangible benefits: time saved, easier itineraries, and inspiration for new destinations. For corporate road-warriors, an AI trip assistant looks less like a novelty and more like a necessity.
Yet the survey is emphatic about one thing: reliability remains king. Travel is emotional; 91% of air travellers report some level of anxiety during trips. When disruption hits, Singaporeans reward competence. 76% would rebook with providers that handle issues quickly and transparently. Quick rebooking (33%) and self-service disruption tools (29%) are rated highly, but the human touch hasn’t vanished; 30% still want to speak to a person, and half would wait hours for one even if an AI agent were available immediately.
As Javier Laforgue, Executive Vice President and Managing Director, Asia Pacific at Amadeus, puts it: “The way forward is not about technology alone, but about blending it with timely, reassuring support to build lasting confidence and loyalty.”
There’s a cautionary note on AI as well. More than three in five respondents (61%) struggled with generative AI tools, with too many options, occasional inaccuracies, and the need to double-check recommendations. The message to industry is clear: innovation must be paired with curation, accountability, and people who can step in when algorithms over-promise.
The findings come from a nationwide sample of 500 Singapore adults who travel abroad for leisure at least once a year, surveyed online between 4 and 20 June 2025 by Opinium. Singaporeans want smarter journeys, fewer friction points, and help that’s there when the wheels wobble. The winners in this next decade of travel will be the brands that marry elegant tech with everyday reliability.
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