Singapore expects 4 to 6 million visitors in 2022; 7.1 days stay in 1H, double vs 2019

Vernon Lee
·Senior Editor
Updated ·2 min read
Singapore expects to welcome between 4 and 6 million visitors in 2022 as the international travel industry continues to recover.
Tourists wearing protective face masks pose for photos at the Merlion Park. (PHOTO: Reuters)

SINGAPORE — Singapore expects to welcome between 4 and 6 million visitors in 2022 as the international travel industry continues to recover.

In a statement on Thursday (14 July), the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) said Singapore recorded 1.5 million visitor arrivals in the first half of this year, nearly 12 times more compared with the same period in 2021.

The arrivals were driven by visitors from Singapore’s top five markets, or 56 per cent of the overall total, in the period: Indonesia (282,000), India (219,000), Malaysia (139,000), Australia (125,000) and Philippines (81,000).

Notably, the average length of stay for visitors was 7.1 days in the first half of 2022, more than doubled compared with 3.4 days in 2019.

While the arrivals remain a fraction of Singapore’s pre-pandemic numbers, STB said it maintains the view that tourism flows will recover to pre-COVID levels by the middle of this decade.

Cautious optimism for rest of 2022

Tourism receipts more than tripled to $1.3 billion in the first quarter of this year, compared with the same period last year. The growth was driven by all major components including shopping and accommodation.

Indonesia, India and China were the top three markets for tourism receipts excluding expenditure on sightseeing entertainment and gaming.

STB’s Chief Executive Keith Tan said, “The encouraging growth in visitor arrivals and tourism receipts signals strong pent-up demand, and underscore Singapore’s continued appeal as a vibrant and attractive destination for leisure and business travellers."

There are some headwinds in the tourism market for the rest of this year due partly to the volatile global political and economic environment, according to STB.

But STB added it is cautiously optimistic about prospects for Singapore with a pipeline of events such as the Formula 1 Singapore Airlines Singapore Grand Prix 2022 and the Bloomberg New Economy Forum, as well as new and updated attractions in Singapore.

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