Tourists visit a hawker centre in George Town. — Picture by KE Ooi

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 19 — Food hunts are the main reason most Malaysians and Singaporeans plan holidays, according to a survey by travel site Booking.com.

Business Insider reported that based on the survey of 53,492 travellers from 31 countries to uncover why they go on holidays, the vast majority of Singaporeans and Malaysians do so to try new foods.

The survey, conducted November last year, required respondents to be either the “primary decision maker” or “involved” in deciding travel plans.

There were 1,950 Singaporean and 1,816 Malaysian respondents aged between 18 and 44-years-old.

The survey found that travellers from these two countries were mostly motivated by the opportunity to try out a new type of food from different countries.

Almost 80 per cent of Malaysian respondents and nearly three-quarters of Singaporean respondents ranked “trying new food” as a key motivation.

Malaysians ranked tasty food as the third most important factor, after personal safety and cleanliness.

For Singaporeans, whether a country had “tasty local food” outranked cleanliness, a reliable public transport system and “outstanding natural scenery”.

Other respondents said the main purpose of a holiday was to unwind, see the world, and try new experiences

Travellers from China and Taiwan wanted a holiday where they could experience “a simpler lifestyle”, while most people from Japan travelled to “get away from the demands at home”.

Indonesians, Indians and Filipinos went on holiday to prove their “social status”, and were most concerned about visiting places their friends had never been to.

According to the survey when deciding which country to visit, respondents worldwide mostly ranked “personal safety” as the top factor for consideration.