Some 55% of Singaporeans said their interest in visiting the U.S. decreased this year, the highest rate among six surveyed Southeast Asian countries, according to a survey conducted by market research company Milieu Insight.
The survey of 6,000 international travelers from Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, Singapore and Vietnam was conducted from May 22 to June 10.
Singaporeans are more hesitant to visit the U.S. than other travelers in the region, citing concerns over personal safety, potential discrimination, policies from the Trump administration, gun violence, and border detentions, the survey showed.
Since Singapore has low crime rates, its citizens have high safety expectations, CNBC reported, citing Zilmiyah Kamble, a senior lecturer for hospitality and tourism management at James Cook University.
Earlier this year, Singapore was named the safest country in Southeast Asia, according to a report published by Numbeo, the world’s largest database of user-contributed data.
Meanwhile, recent years have seen a concerning increase in gun violence and mass shootings in the U.S.
Many Singaporeans also avoided going to the U.S. this year because of discrimination against Asians.
Anti-Asian online hate in the U.S. has seen an “alarming surge” since the 2024 U.S. elections won by Donald Trump, Reuters reported citing data released by Stop AAPI Hate.
The survey showed that Singaporeans are less worried than other respondents about two issues: travel costs and visa requirements.
In early 2025, the Henley Passport Index showed that Singapore possesses the world’s most powerful passport with visa-free access to 193 destinations.
Since 1999 Singapore has been part of the U.S. Visa Waiver Program, allowing its citizens to travel without a traditional visa. But they must obtain authorization through the electronic system for travel authorization.
It is valid for two years and permits stays of up to 90 days. Processing takes 72 hours and costs US$21.
However, some Singaporeans still worried about being detained while passing through U.S. immigrations.
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