Having The Strongest Passport, Singaporeans Are Reluctant To Vacation To America

Singapore illustration. (Freepic)

JAKARTA - Despite holding the strongest passports in the world, Singaporeans are reluctant to make the United States a holiday destination this year. A survey of 6,000 Southeast Asian tourists conducted by Milieu Insight for CNBC Travel showed that only 7% of Singaporeans had increased interest in the US, while more than half (55%) were just more reluctant to visit.

This figure is very different from the average Southeast Asia, where 44% of respondents said their interest in the US increased, and only 18% decreased.

The survey, which was conducted on May 22, June 10, 2025, revealed that Singaporeans' concerns compared to neighboring countries were caused by:

- Personal safety in the US (+13 percentage points)

- Discrimination or bad treatment (+17 percentage points)

- Trump's government policy (+18 percentage points)

- Gun violence (+20 percentage points)

- Detention at the border (+13 percentage points)

Zilmiyah Kamble, senior lecturer at James Cook University, said the low crime rate in Singapore has high expectations for security while traveling.

"Singapore is often on the list of the safest countries in the world, it is natural that its citizens are very sensitive to security issues abroad," he explained, quoted from the CNBC page.

Kimberly Kwok, one of Singaporeans, admitted not to go to the US this year.

"I'm not interested in going to the US, especially because of security factors. There is a lot of news about racial crimes against Asians and also about firearms," he said.

Cayla Tham, a student, admitted that the existence of legal firearms in the US made him doubt.

"It's not about politics or tariffs, but more about how firearms are allowed. It feels like the rules are not enforced," he said.

Data Henley Passport Indexwal 2025 shows Singapore's passport is ranked first in the world, allowing its citizens to enter many countries without visas.

However, the survey results showed that only 60% of Singaporeans felt the US immigration process would run smoothly, much lower than the other 78% of respondents from Southeast Asia.

Tiffany Ng, a Singaporean, said she was worried that she would be treated unfairly in the US.

"I feel like the US is now a less secure place. It looks unstable," he said.

Rahul Jain, another Singaporean also refused to include the US on his holiday list.

"The problem is not just investigations. Violence, crime, poverty. Maybe the reality is not as bad as the media reported, but why take risks?" he said.

With these various concerns, despite having the strongest passports, Singaporeans appear to choose other destinations that are considered safer and more comfortable.