If you are already thinking about your year-end holiday, or even planning as far ahead as 2027, the NATAS Travel Fair opens today, 21 August.
The 64th edition runs until Sunday, 23 August, at Singapore Expo Halls 3B, 4 and 5.
Opening hours are from 10am to 9.30pm daily, and admission is free.
This NATAS fair is bigger than last year’s
The fair has 25% more exhibition space than its 2025 edition, with close to 100 exhibitors.
They include travel agencies, airlines, cruise operators, hotels and resorts, banks, insurers and 14 national tourism organisations. The number of national tourism organisations taking part is 40% higher than in 2025.
There will also be stage programmes from 1pm to 8pm every day, including performances and travel talks.
And if your holiday booking causes your bank account to experience a little turbulence, there is at least a lucky dip.
Visitors who spend at least S$500 at the fair can enter the NATAS Lucky Dip. Prizes include air tickets from Singapore Airlines and China Southern Airlines.
Chan Brothers has 1-for-1 tours from S$794
Among the headline promotions reported by The Straits Times are selected 1-for-1 package tours from Chan Brothers Travel.
Destinations include South Korea, Japan and Vietnam, with prices starting from S$794 while stocks last.
Other fair promotions reported by ST include room discounts of up to S$2,020 on selected tours.
ASA Holidays, meanwhile, is running a “Travel More. Win More” campaign that includes a chance to win a new BYD car.
Super Travels is highlighting its Megatours, including a Harbin trip in January 2027 timed around the city’s International Ice and Snow Festival, as well as an April 2027 Yangzhou Food Festival tour combining spring flowers with food-focused experiences.
If you already know which agencies you want to visit, Super Travels group vice-president and director William Huang suggested checking the fair’s floor plan before heading down.
Given that the event occupies three halls, this could save you from accidentally completing your daily step target before finding the travel agency you wanted.
China trips are getting even more popular
China is one of the destinations seeing particularly strong demand.
Chan Brothers Travel recorded a 10% year-on-year rise in China bookings during the first half of 2026.
Interest is also moving beyond the usual big cities towards seasonal and less conventional trips.
For example, as of August, Chan Brothers’ bookings for tours to see Guizhou’s azalea blooms were already 60% higher than the total number it recorded for all of 2025.
ASA Holidays has also seen China and Japan bookings increase by about 10% to 15% when comparing the January to April period with May to August, according to its director of marketing Sherwin Seow.
Pop culture appears to be playing a part too.
ST reported that the 2026 Chinese family drama Dear You, which has grossed more than US$289 million, or about S$367 million, helped draw attention to Chaoshan in Guangdong.
The film, largely spoken in the Chaoshan or Teochew dialect, has separately been linked to growing travel interest in the region.
European river cruises are gaining traction too
China is not the only travel trend showing up at NATAS.
Huang said European river cruises are becoming more popular, particularly routes along rivers such as the Rhine and Danube.
Unlike a traditional multi-city coach tour, travellers can move between destinations without repeatedly packing their bags, changing hotels or spending long stretches on buses.
Travel agencies interviewed by ST also said some travellers have become more conscious of how they get to Europe amid geopolitical concerns involving routes through the Middle East.
ASA Holidays has noticed more travellers choosing transit points in Central Europe, while Chan Brothers said it is prioritising Europe tours using direct flights.
Don’t look only at the cheapest price
With dozens of promotions in the same building, comparing only the biggest discount can be tempting.
But Chan Brothers senior marketing communications executive Tan Jie Ni advised travellers to examine what is actually included in each package.
A slightly more expensive tour could come with better flight timings, hotels in more convenient locations, better meals, more included activities or an itinerary that is less rushed.
So if you are heading to NATAS today, comparing the full itinerary instead of only the number printed in the biggest font might save you some holiday regret later.
The NATAS Travel Fair runs from 21 to 23 August 2026 at Singapore Expo Halls 3B, 4 and 5, from 10am to 9.30pm daily. Admission is free.
