Visitor numbers expected to double in 2023, tourism could recover to pre-pandemic levels next year: STB

SINGAPORE — Singapore is expected to welcome double the number of international visitors this year compared to 2022, reaching up to 14 million visitors, or about three-quarters of pre-pandemic levels.

In its annual year-in-review press conference on Tuesday (Jan 17), the Singapore Tourism Board (STB)'s director for communications Terrence Voon said tourism spending in 2023 is expected to grow to up to S$21 billion, which is about 76 per cent of 2019 numbers.

"Barring unexpected circumstances, tourism activity is now expected to recover to pre-pandemic levels by 2024," said STB in a press statement.

WHY IT MATTERS

Tourism is one of the industries in Singapore, currently contributing to about four per cent of Singapore's economy, according to STB’s website.

Before the Covid-19 pandemic, the sector here recorded strong growth, clocking its fourth straight record year for tourism arrivals and receipts in 2019.

Following the disruption of global travel due to tight border control measures that started largely in 2020, visitor numbers and tourism spending dropped drastically for two years.

Singapore welcomed 2.7 million visitors in 2020, who brought in about S$4.8 billion in tourism spending.

In 2021, the numbers dwindled further to 330,000 international visitors and S$1.9 billion in spending, before rebounding last year.

HOW TOURISM FARED IN 2022

Last year, there were 6.3 million international visitors who came to Singapore in total, STB said.

• This is about one-third of the 19.1 million international visitors recorded for the whole of 2019
• Tourism receipts for last year is expected to reach between S$13.8 billion and S$14.3 billion, or about 50 to 52 per cent of the S$27.7 billion received in 2019
• Travellers are also staying slightly longer here, averaging at 4.81 days compared to 3.36 days in 2019
• Arrivals in 2022 were driven by Singapore's key markets such as Indonesia (1.1 million), India (686,000) and Malaysia (591,000)

WHAT 2023 COULD LOOK LIKE

With more countries expected to reopen borders and resume international travel, visitor numbers for 2023 are expected to reach between 12 million and 14 million, double than 2022 but about 75 per cent of 2019 numbers.

• This would bring in about S$18 billion to S$21 billion in tourism receipts in 2023, or between 65 and 76 per cent of 2019 levels
• These projections are “on the back of increasing flight connectivity and capacity, and China’s gradual reopening”, the statutory board said

STB chief executive Keith Tan said that the forecasts would be higher if based only on “demand factors alone”, but he acknowledged that supply-side considerations, such as flight capacity, could affect tourism receipts.

“However, our forecasts also take into consideration how things will improve throughout the year,” said Mr Tan. He added that STB is “cautiously optimistic” that such supply-side factors will reach "some degree of normalcy" by the end of 2023.

FUTURE PLANS

In a bid to reel in more visitors, STB will also “front load S$110 million” of the S$500 million that was set aside for the tourism industry, it added.

The S$500 million injection was announced by the Government in April last year as part of its efforts to aid the tourism sector in its post-pandemic recovery.

• STB said that it will continue supporting new and refreshed offerings this year, such as the Bird Paradise @ Mandai Wildlife Reserve
• Another highlight mentioned is the Trifecta integrated sports facility in Orchard Road, which was announced in February last year

To support the expected recovery in the sector, the statutory board will continue to help the industry ramp up hiring through its Tourism Careers Hub, which provides career coaching, skills upgrading and job matching.

It added that the hiring would also support its current strategies of growing the wellness tourism segment and improving sustainability efforts in the tourism sector.

• The industry currently has about 3,000 vacancies, which STB is “optimistic” to fill up in the next two years
• As of September 2022, the tourism workforce comprised about 65,000 workers, or around 78 per cent of 2019 levels