SINGAPORE : Singapore welcomed 3.12 million visitors
in the first quarter of this year, up 15.7 per cent compared to the
same period last year, the Singapore Tourism Board (STB)
said.
All three months saw record arrivals, with January
registering the largest increase. But March remained the top
visitor-generating month.
Visitors from Indonesia (577,000), China (412,000),
Malaysia (256,000), Australia (222,000), and India (171,000)
accounted for about half the total arrivals.
The highest visitor growth, out of the top 15 markets, was from
Hong Kong (+42%), followed by the Philippines (+39%) and Thailand
(+38%).
The increase in visitor arrivals has benefitted the hotel
industry.
Room revenue in the first quarter was estimated at S$478 million,
representing an increase of 9.8 per cent compared to the same
quarter a year ago.
An average room went for S$226 a night, an almost 14 per cent
increase.
Tourism receipts came to about S$4.98 billion, up 35.7 per cent
on-year.
The figures were contained in the STB's first quarterly tourism
sector performance report.
It marks the start of a new format which aggregates the tourism
sector's performance statistics for each quarter and provides a
more comprehensive accounting of the industry's performance.
The second quarter's report will be released in August.
- CNA/al