SINGAPORE, Feb 3 — Singapore’s tourism sector surged to a new high in 2025, with spending climbing to S$23.9 billion (RM74 billion) in the first nine months of the year, according to new figures from the Singapore Tourism Board (STB), reported by CNA today.
In a statement, STB said tourism receipts rose 6.5 per cent year-on-year between January and September, putting the country “on track to exceed” its full-year projection of between S$29 billion and S$30.5 billion. The final tally will be released in the second quarter of 2026.
The rebound was driven by what STB described as “steady growth”, led by sightseeing, entertainment and gaming, and food and beverage — each posting a 15 per cent rise.
Mainland China, Indonesia and Australia topped the charts for tourism receipts, contributing S$3.68 billion, S$2.09 billion and S$1.54 billion respectively, excluding spending on sightseeing, entertainment and gaming.
Visitors from China spent 3 per cent more than a year earlier, and their food and beverage spending jumped 19 per cent, helping lift overall numbers.
Singapore drew 16.9 million international visitors in 2025, up 2.3 per cent from the previous year but slightly short of STB’s target of up to 18.5 million.
Mainland China led with 3.1 million arrivals, followed by Indonesia (2.4 million), Malaysia (1.3 million), Australia (a record 1.3 million) and India (1.2 million).
Some markets softened. Arrivals from Vietnam dropped to 344,000 from 393,000 amid “greater price sensitivity around travel”.
Visitors from the Philippines fell to 726,000 after what STB described as a spike in 2024 “driven by large-scale entertainment events”.
But Japan, Malaysia, Germany and the United States saw “notable growth” of between 5 and 10 per cent.
STB said the spending boom reflected the rollout of “new and refreshed experiences” as well as the opening of major attractions such as Rainforest Wild and the Singapore Oceanarium.
Cultural and sporting events added further momentum. ART SG drew more than 41,000 visitors during Singapore Art Week, and the Formula 1 Singapore Grand Prix logged a total attendance of 300,641 over three days — an 11.7 per cent jump from 2024.
The 2025 World Aquatics Championships, the Singapore Festival of Football, and concerts by Lady Gaga, Blackpink and Seventeen added to the year’s strong pull.
New hotels also came online, including Raffles Sentosa Singapore, Mandai Rainforest Resort by Banyan Tree and The Laurus at Resorts World Sentosa, while the meetings and conventions sector delivered a “packed calendar” featuring the Milken Institute Asia Summit, ITMA Asia + CITME and debut Asia editions of HealthTechX Asia and LSI Asia.
STB’s chief executive Melissa Ow said the performance “puts us on a steady trajectory towards achieving our Tourism 2040 ambitions”, adding: “We are attracting visitors who value the distinctive experiences that Singapore offers.”
For 2026, STB expects arrivals of between 17 million and 18 million and tourism spending of S$31 billion to S$32.5 billion, noting that the outlook reflects “global economic uncertainty” and the impact of political instability on travel.
