DEMAND for year-end travel is still strong, if the crowds who turned up at two travel promotion events this weekend are anything to go by.

There to scout for possible travel packages, most said the fact that the Singapore economy has shrunk for two consecutive quarters had little or no impact on their travel plans.

A few said, however, that they were watching their budgets ahead of tighter times in the coming year.

More than 10,000 people thronged the Chan Brothers anniversary fair at the Suntec convention centre concourse yesterday. Those who made the decision to take a holiday bought up $5 million in tour packages.

At the Suntec City Mall, a smaller-scale roadshow by Dynasty Travel was also crowded, with about 4,000 turning up over the weekend and $2million in travel packages sold.

The weakening of the Australian and New Zealand currencies were trigger factors for the bargain-hunters.

Chan Brothers senior marketing communications executive Jane Chang said inquiries about tours to Australia had doubled in the last two weeks. She said of local travellers: 'They react quite fast. With the Australian dollar having dropped from $1.30 to be almost on par with the Singapore dollar, they stand to get quite a lot of savings.'

Friends Jordane Lee, 31, a fashion buyer, and Gwen Low, 40, an administrative officer, said they were keen on Australia. Ms Lee said: 'The weather now is very good. The currency is also very attractive.'

Many said they had not felt the impact of the economic downturn yet.

Homemaker Mary Poh, 47, looking at the crowds at the booths in amazement, said: 'Economy not doing well? I don't believe it. I am quite alarmed by the number of people who have turned up.'

But hints of the shadow cast by the global financial credit crunch did show up here and there.

Engineer Alex Liu and his wife, administrative officer Jane Shao, in their 40s, did not have tight holiday budgets in the past, but are restricting themselves to $2,000 for their family of three for a trip in January.

Others, like Mr Wu Shi Xin, 35, want to travel before a full-blown recession sets in. The engineer said: 'If I don't go this year, I probably won't in the next two years.'

Dynasty Travel's general manager for outbound travel Juliana Gan said Japan, Korea and Taiwan were popular, though people were also heading for Europe and Australia because of favourable currency exchange rates.

Asked about next year, most travellers said they had not made plans and that they would keep an eye on the economy. A full recession would not stop them from going overseas, but it might make them scale back their plans.

Engineer Shen Jian, 45, who will take a 15-day jaunt through Europe with his son next month, said: 'Maybe we'll do short-distance travelling for next year.'

ayiying@sph.com.sg