Singapore ranks 2nd for best 'workcation' destination in Asia, only behind Beijing

In a post-pandemic world, flexible work arrangements have become the norm.

For some lucky employees, this includes being able to work while on vacation—otherwise known as a 'workcation'.

The appeal of combining work and leisure to prolong one's holidays is understandable, especially to those who've taken up hybrid work, and many countries around the world have become destinations for this.

According to a survey by International Workspace Group, Singapore ranks the seventh best workcation city for hybrid workers.

This is a big jump from last year's ranking of 21st.

Compared to other Asian cities, Singapore outranked Jakarta (eighth), Mumbai (14th), Manila (16th), and Hong Kong (19th).

Beijing (fourth) was the only Asian city that ranked above Singapore.

On a global level, the study found that Budapest was the best city for workcations, followed by Barcelona in Spain and Rio de Janeiro in Brazil.

Cities were evaluated in 10 key areas including accommodation (average rent per month), food (average cost of lunch) and 'cultural quality' (Bib Gourmand or cultural events).

Key findings

Staying within the Singapore context, areas that the city-state excelled in included broadband quality, culture, sustainability, food and happiness.

In fact, no other city in the top 10 matched Singapore when it comes to the survey's Happiness scale.

As reported before, the little red dot has been ranked as the happiest city in Asia for the second year running.

This study, conducted among 1,021 hybrid working office workers in July 2024, also found that 84 per cent of hybrid workers have, or would consider, extending a holiday to work remotely from their chosen destination.

It seems that flexibility over workspaces has an impact on workers' well-being, with 75 per cent of respondents saying that being able to work from anywhere brings about freedom, which boosts their job satisfaction.

Next stop, Singapore

Another study, conducted by Boston Consulting Group, The Network and The Stepstone Group earlier this year, found that Singapore is on of the most preferred work destinations globally.

While cities at the top of the list came from Australia, the US, Canada and the UK, Singapore ranked eighth, maintaining its position in the top 10 desirable countries to work since 2020.

According to the study, talents are willing to relocate to Singapore because of job opportunities as well as the country's reputation for safety, stability and security.

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amierul@asiaone.com