Singapore's tourist arrivals down 3.1% last year

SINGAPORE saw 3.1 per cent less tourist arrivals in 2014 even as tourism receipts remained flat year on year.

According to data from the Singapore Tourism Board (STB), visitor arrivals clocked 15.1 million, missing the STB's targets, while tourism receipts totalled S$23.5 billion.

Visitor arrivals fell due to headwinds in key source markets, especially China, the STB said.

Last year, visitor arrivals from China fell some 24 per cent. Changes in tourism laws as well as the disappearance of Flight MH370 dampened travel demand out of China to South-east Asia.