From $62,000 hotel suites to race packages with six-figure price tags, the Singapore Grand Prix is a windfall for businesses near the Marina Bay track.
But the cash is not staying in Singapore. Data shows travelers are also spending across Asia before and after the three-day Formula One race, which begins Friday.
Flight bookings analyzed by marketing platform Sojern indicate that, amongst those with onward trips, 1 / 4 of Americans and Canadians are adding trips to Japan, 18% of Europeans are also visiting Thailand, and nearly one-third of Australians are tacking on trips to Indonesia, overwhelmingly to Bali.
Other travelers are pairing this yr’s event in Singapore with side trips to China, South Korea, India, the Maldives and Fiji, Sojern said.
Samer Elhajjar, a senior lecturer on the National University of Singapore, said that travel web sites in other countries are bundling trips to Singapore’s night race with stops at popular island destinations in Southeast Asia.
“Visitors will come to Singapore, benefit from the F1, after which they move to Bali for 2 or three days,” he said. “That is actually amazing for the economy of the region.”
CNBC Travel found travel packages to the 2025 Singapore Grand Prix coupled with trips to Langkawi and Borneo in Malaysia, and a cruise that mixes the race with stops in Japan, Hong Kong and Vietnam.
Pitstop, not full stop
Sojern’s data comports with a Visa report published in May, which showed that other Formula One races in Asia-Pacific generated tourism revenue outside of host cities too.
Around 25% of foreigners who attended the 2025 Australian Grand Prix stayed around Melbourne’s suburbs after the race, while 10% remained in town itself, in response to Visa’s data. Yet some ventured to the Yarra Valley wine region, and 5% traveled to Sydney, some 500 miles away.
At April’s Japan Grand Prix in Suzuka, international attendees ventured even farther away, in response to the report. Data showed around 10% went to Osaka, one other 5% to Kyoto; nonetheless, the preferred destination to go to after the race was Okinawa (20%), greater than 700 miles from the circuit.
Switching gears
The three-day Singapore Grand Prix has evolved right into a week-long event for a lot of, drawing global leaders and business travelers to trade forums scheduled across the race, resembling crypto conference Token2049 and the Milken Institute Asia Summit.
Travelers from North America and Europe collectively account for around 1 / 4 of arrivals ahead of this yr’s race in Singapore, and they have a tendency to reach earlier and stay longer than those coming from Asia, in response to Sojern’s data.
Australians still have the biggest share of inbound flight bookings; nonetheless, arrivals from South Korea and China increased this yr, breaking into the highest 5, surpassing the UK, it showed.
The 2025 race can also be attracting more families, up 6.6% from last yr, while solo travelers fell 8%, indicating an increase in leisure travelers attending the race.
“Because of this the stays will likely be prolonged,” said National University of Singapore’s Elhajjar. “That is great for the economy of Singapore … [and] the economy of the region.”
A separate survey from Hilton published Thursday found that some 40% of travelers in Asia-Pacific plan to book a world trip to attend a sporting or music event, led by 59% of respondents in China and 57% in India.
“The findings reinforce a broader consumer shift, with customers increasingly prioritizing spend on experiences over physical goods,” said Ben George, senior vp and industrial director, Asia Pacific, Hilton.
The survey, which polled 5,000 respondents from China, India, Japan, Australia and Singapore, also revealed that travelers are spending extra money and loyalty points on experiences at these events, resembling meet-and-greets with drivers and behind-the-scenes tours, he said.
George said Hilton members spent greater than 9 million loyalty points on six Singapore Grand Prix experience packages this yr, which was “a 23% increase compared with last yr — the best total to this point for this race.”
