Singapore Changi Wants to Turn Happy Passengers Into Returning Tourists
Photo Credit: Quality airport Wi-Fi and a great in-flight experience can help influence a traveler to revisit a destination, according to a new study. Pictured is a kiosk at Singapore's Changi Airport. Skift
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Large hub airports like Singapore's Changi have tens of millions of connecting travelers each year. While it makes passengers happy, it hasn't been able to turn them into tourists.
As airports such as Singapore's Changi and Dubai International continue to build their reputation as hubs and main connecting points in their respective regions, millions more passengers each year are passing through their terminals from one flight to another.
Many travelers who fly through Changi and Dubai, for example, never leave the airport and are captive audiences -- sometimes for hours on end -- as they wait for connecting flights. This has led Changi, and Dubai to an extent, to add more attractions and brand their terminals as quasi-destinations in an attempt to keep travelers happy but also to help convince connecting travelers that they should make another trip to actually visit the destination.
Changi is the exception to the rule when considering creature comforts in airport terminals. A movie theater, outdoor space, butterfly and rock gardens, a rooftop pool, luxury shopping, and Singapore food stalls are only a few examples of how the airport has invested in making i
