Singapore’s F1 race boosts tourism to different nations in Asia-Pacific

From $62,000 resort suites to race packages with six-figure value tags, the Singapore Grand Prix is a windfall for companies close to the Marina Bay observe.

However the cash is not staying in Singapore. Information exhibits vacationers are additionally spending throughout Asia earlier than and after the three-day Method One race, which begins Friday.

Flight bookings analyzed by advertising and marketing platform Sojern point out that, amongst these with onward journeys, 1 / 4 of People and Canadians are including journeys to Japan, 18% of Europeans are additionally visiting Thailand, and practically one-third of Australians are tacking on journeys to Indonesia, overwhelmingly to Bali.

Different vacationers are pairing this yr’s occasion in Singapore with aspect journeys to China, South Korea, India, the Maldives and Fiji, Sojern stated.

Samer Elhajjar, a senior lecturer on the Nationwide College of Singapore, stated that journey web sites in different nations are bundling journeys to Singapore’s evening race with stops at common island locations in Southeast Asia.

“Guests will come to Singapore, benefit from the F1, after which they transfer to Bali for 2 or three days,” he stated. “That is truly wonderful for the economic system of the area.”

CNBC Journey discovered journey packages to the 2025 Singapore Grand Prix coupled with journeys to Langkawi and Borneo in Malaysia, and a cruise that mixes the race with stops in Japan, Hong Kong and Vietnam.

Sojern’s knowledge comports with knowledge from Visa revealed in Might, which confirmed that different Method One races in Asia-Pacific generated tourism income outdoors of host cities too.

Round 25% of foreigners who attended the 2025 Australian Grand Prix stayed round Melbourne’s suburbs after the race, whereas 10% remained within the metropolis itself, based on Visa’s knowledge. But some ventured to the Yarra Valley wine area, and 5% traveled to Sydney, some 500 miles away.

At April’s Japan Grand Prix in Suzuka, worldwide attendees ventured even farther away, based on Visa. Information confirmed round 10% went to Osaka, one other 5% to Kyoto; nevertheless, the preferred vacation spot to go to after the race was Okinawa (20%), greater than 700 miles from the circuit.

The three-day Singapore Grand Prix has advanced right into a week-long occasion for a lot of, drawing world leaders and enterprise vacationers to commerce boards scheduled across the race, comparable to crypto convention Token2049 and the Milken Institute Asia Summit.

Vacationers from North America and Europe collectively account for round 1 / 4 of arrivals forward of this yr’s race in Singapore, and so they are inclined to arrive earlier and keep longer than these coming from Asia, based on Sojern’s knowledge.

Australians nonetheless have the most important share of inbound flight bookings; nevertheless, arrivals from South Korea and China elevated this yr, breaking into the highest 5, surpassing the UK, it confirmed.

The 2025 race can also be attracting extra households, up 6.6% from final yr, whereas solo vacationers fell 8%, indicating an increase in leisure vacationers attending the race.

“Because of this the stays will probably be prolonged,” stated Nationwide College of Singapore’s Elhajjar. “That is nice for the economic system of Singapore … [and] the economic system of the area.”

A separate survey from Hilton revealed Thursday discovered that some 40% of vacationers in Asia-Pacific plan to e-book a world journey to attend a sporting or music occasion, led by 59% of respondents in China and 57% in India.

“The findings reinforce a broader client shift, with prospects more and more prioritizing spend on experiences over bodily items,” stated Ben George, senior vp and business director, Asia Pacific, Hilton.

The survey, which polled 5,000 respondents from China, India, Japan, Australia and Singapore, additionally revealed that vacationers are spending more cash and loyalty factors on experiences at these occasions, comparable to meet-and-greets with drivers and behind-the-scenes excursions, he stated.

George stated Hilton members spent greater than 9 million loyalty factors on six Singapore Grand Prix expertise packages this yr, which was “a 23% enhance in contrast with final yr — the very best complete so far for this race.”