With China’s decision to lift Covid travel restrictions and more flights available, Singapore estimates a doubling of its annual tourist population to 12-14 million by 2023. The Singapore Tourism Board projected Tuesday that the influx of visitors may result in S$21 billion, up from approximately S$14 billion last year when 6.3 million people came to the country. When international travel restrictions were at their strictest in 2021, the city-state only saw 330,000 foreign tourists.
STB Assistant Chief Executive Juliana Kua stated during a conference that Singapore is in a very excellent situation to continue to have Chinese arrivals come back aggressively. Visitor numbers in Singapore last year surpassed projections, mostly due to an influx of travellers from neighbouring countries such as Indonesia, India, and Malaysia. China’s massive population, though, makes it essential to a long-term recovery. Kua said that the number of weekly flights from Singapore to China is just 38, which is less than 10% of the number of flights that existed before Covid.
As a result, guests are staying in Singapore for longer periods of time than they were before the epidemic. After the government lifted the quarantine requirement in April, visitors stayed an average of 4.81 days, the tourist board said, up from 3.36 days in the same time in 2019.
According to AMRO senior economist Hoe Ee Khor, “with recession risks still haunting the United States and Europe, China’s economic reopening cannot come at a better time for the region.”
“China’s stronger economy will provide support for regional activity, while the border reopening will boost intra-regional tourism”, he added.
The World Travel and Tourism Council estimates that in 2019 tourism generated almost 10% of GDP in the Asia Pacific area and 10% of total employment.
“To sustain our growth in 2023 and beyond, we will expand our partnerships, build up a rich year-round calendar of events, ramp up investment in new and refreshed products and experiences, and continue to support industry efforts to build the capabilities they need to meet consumer demands,” concluded Keith Tan, STB’s CEO.
source: bloomberg.com
