From $62,000 hotel suites to six-figure priced race packages, the Singapore Grand Prix is a boon for businesses near the Marina Bay circuit.
But the money doesn’t stay in Singapore. Data shows travelers are also spending across Asia before and after the three-day Formula One race, which begins on Friday.
Flight bookings analyzed by marketing platform Sojern indicate that among those continuing their trip, a quarter of Americans and Canadians are adding trips to Japan, 18% of Europeans are also visiting Thailand and almost a third of Australians are considering trips to Indonesia, the vast majority to Bali.
Other travelers are pairing this year’s event in Singapore with side trips to China, South Korea, India, the Maldives and Fiji, Sojern said.
Samer Elhajjar, a lecturer at the National University of Singapore, said other countries’ travel websites bundle trips to Singapore’s night run with stopovers at popular Southeast Asian island destinations.
“Visitors come to Singapore, enjoy F1, then they move to Bali for two or three days,” he said. “It’s truly incredible for the region’s economy.”
CNBC Travel found travel packages for the 2025 Singapore Grand Prix coupled with trips to Langkawi and Malaysian Borneo, as well as a cruise combining the race with stops in Japan, Hong Kong and Vietnam.
Pit stop, not full stop
Sojern’s data agrees with Visa data published in May, which showed that other Formula 1 races in Asia-Pacific were also generating tourism revenue outside of host cities.
Around 25% of foreigners who attended the 2025 Australian Grand Prix stayed in suburban Melbourne after the race, while 10% stayed in the city itself, according to Visa data. Still, some ventured to the Yarra Valley wine region, and 5% went to Sydney, about 500 miles away..
At the Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka in April, international participants ventured even further, according to Visa. The data showed that about 10% went to Osaka, and another 5% to Kyoto; however, the most popular destination to visit after the race was Okinawa (20%), more than 700 miles from the circuit.
Change gear
The three-day Singapore Grand Prix has become a week-long event for many, drawing world leaders and business travelers to business forums planned around the race, such as the Token2049 crypto conference and the Milken Institute Asia Summit.
Travelers from North America and Europe collectively make up about a quarter of arrivals ahead of this year’s race in Singapore, and they tend to arrive earlier and stay longer than those from Asia, according to Sojern data.
Australians still hold the largest share of inbound flight bookings; However, arrivals from South Korea and China increased this year, entering the top 5, overtaking the United Kingdom, it showed.
The 2025 race is also attracting more families, up 6.6% from last year, while solo travelers fell 8%, indicating an increase in leisure travelers participating in the race.
“This means stays will be extended,” said Elhajjar, of the National University of Singapore. “It’s great for Singapore’s economy… (and) the region’s economy.”
A separate Hilton survey released Thursday found that about 40% of travelers in Asia-Pacific are considering booking an international trip to attend a sporting or music event, led by 59% of respondents in China and 57% in India.
“The findings reinforce a broader shift in consumption, with guests increasingly prioritizing spending on experiences over physical goods,” said Ben George, senior vice president and chief commercial officer for Asia Pacific at Hilton.
The survey, of 5,000 people in China, India, Japan, Australia and Singapore, also found that travelers are spending more money and loyalty points on experiences at these events, such as meet-and-greets with drivers and behind-the-scenes tours, he said.
George said Hilton members spent more than 9 million loyalty points on six Singapore Grand Prix experience packages this year, representing “a 23 per cent increase on last year – the highest total to date for this race”.
