Trade‐offs in destination choices among the urban populations in three Southeast Asian countries

Internal migration of the urban population is substantial with diverse drivers, barriers, and reasons for destination choices. Whereas internal mobility in Organisation Economic Co-operation Development (OECD) countries well-studied under umbrella residential, labour, amenity, retirement migration, such research non-OECD rare limited to economic aspects migration. In this study, we assess relative importance social, environmental, amenity factors peoples' choices within three (Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines) through an online survey. Concerns about safety high living costs at potential destinations were among most important decisions, whereas amenities least important. A risk from climatic hazards, particularly severe ones as flooding typhoons, was also influential disincentive, people Malaysia Philippines, that is, likely grow climate change accelerates unabated. To maintain attractiveness highly exposed cities regions skilled people, planners must minimise these risks, example, crime control, flood disaster management, early warning systems.