Singapore’s international visitor arrivals in 1Q2017 saw modest year-on-year growth, up four per cent to 4.3 million visitors, while tourism receipts increased 15 per cent to S$6.4 billion (US$4.7 billion).
The growth in tourism receipts was driven by shopping spend (+38 per cent) while the sightseeing, entertainment and gaming (SEG) component held steady.
Excluding expenditure on SEG, China (S$1.1 billion), Indonesia (S$688 million) and India (S$302 million) were the top three tourism receipts generating markets in 1Q2017.
China was the top source market after arrivals increased 14 per cent to 851,000. Indonesia is in second place at 720,000 arrivals, an increase of just two per cent. These are followed by Malaysia (up one per cent to 275,000), Australia (up six per cent to 272,000) and India (up seven per cent to 241,000). These five markets accounted for 55 per cent of total international visitor arrivals during this period.
Chinese visitors contributed 30 per cent more in tourism receipts, with shopping the largest spend component, while the largest increase in tourism receipts came from Malaysia (+37 per cent). Tourism receipts from Indian arrivals showed no increase, while Australians spent four per cent more.
Notably, gazetted hotel room revenue declined 1.3 per cent to an est
imated S$800 million for 1Q2017. Average occupancy rate came in at 86 per cent, a 1.3 percentage point increase compared with the same quarter last year while average room rate declined 2.8 per cent to S$233. RevPAR slipped 1.2 per cent year-on-year to S$199 due mainly to a lower average room rate.
