AMID a competitive global landscape, Singapore’s visitor arrivals and spending have declined for the first half of this year, with the leisure segment remaining the only bright spot for the city-state.
For 2Q2015, international visitor arrivals slid one per cent to 3.6 million while tourism receipts fell nine per cent to S$5.2 billion (US$3.7 billion) from the same period in 2014. Sharp declines in spending on major components such as accommodation, sightseeing, entertainment, gaming and shopping were the key cause of the loss in tourism dollars.
The dip in numbers were also heavily attributed to the steep drop in business and MICE arrivals (-8 per cent) and their spending (-16 per cent).
A total of 7.3 million visitors visited Singapore in the first half of this year, a three per cent decrease year-on-year. A corresponding decline in spending is recorded for the period, with tourism receipts estimated at S$10.5 billion (-12 per cent). Accommodation expenditure accounted for the largest year-on-year decrease (-19 per cent).
Indonesia remains Singapore’s top source market, despite logging a 14 per cent drop in arrivals in 1H2015 compared to the same period last year. China, the second biggest market for Singapore, meanwhile registered a nine per cent hike in arrivals.
The leisure segment showed promise however, with visitor arrivals and spending both increasing by one per cent for the January to June period this year.
The Singapore Tourism Board (STB) is intensifying its marketing and partnerships in order to continue promoting the country as a quality destination, including the recent tie-up with China’s digital giants.
