Singapore notches record Q3 tourist arrivals of 4.9m

Singapore

SINGAPORE tourist arrivals rose to an all-time quarterly high for the July to September period this year, driven by higher Chinese demand. However, local tour agencies have yet to see corresponding gains in their businesses from the influx, in part due to changing consumer preferences.

According to data available on the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) website, Singapore welcomed the highest number of international visitors for a quarter in 3Q2019, at 4.9 million. This was a 7.8 per cent increase over 2Q2019's figure of 4.6 million arrivals, and a 3.5 per cent gain on the 4.8 million in the same quarter last year.

"The continued good growth might also be a reflection of STB's sustained efforts in mainland China," says Ms Juliana Kua, regional director for Greater China at STB in a statement to The Business Times. "This year, we have partnered with over 40 traditional travel agencies to reach out to potential consumers in our target 22 cities, as well as launched strategic partnerships with key online travel agencies and platforms …