INTRA-REGIONAL travel in South-east Asia is fast taking off.

Among the high rollers are Singapore consumers who are spending big in Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia, and their expenditure within Asean has grown twice as fast as that beyond the region.

Singapore consumers’ overseas spending within the region grew 23 per cent year on year, outpacing spending growth of 11 per cent beyond Asean, UOB cards data showed.

With the rebound of overall passenger traffic in the region, more consumers are booking shorter trips and looking for quick overseas escapes with the best value, said the bank’s head of group personal financial services Jacquelyn Tan.

An overall uptick in business travel and meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions across the region also contributed to greater intra-regional travel.

Another motivator could be the proliferation of experiential and entertainment-related offerings across South-east Asia, said UOB, as consumers start to spend more on experiences such as holidays, entertainment and gastronomic events over material items.

The Singapore dollar’s relative bouts of strength this year might have been a push factor as well, noted the lender.

The ringgit traded at a low of 3.568 against the Singdollar in February as it tanked to a