Higher visitor arrivals signals Singapore's continued appeal as premier travel destination for Kiwis

AUCKLAND, 5 February 2026 – Singapore's tourism sector showed steady growth in 2025, with tourism receipts (TR) reaching S$23.9 billion in the first three quarters, a 6.5% increase from 2024, and the highest TR recorded for this period.

International visitor arrivals to Singapore in 2025 reached 16.9 million, representing a 2.3% growth compared to 2024, with Mainland China (3.1 million), Indonesia (2.4 million), Malaysia (1.3 million), Australia (1.3 million) and India (1.2 million) forming the top five markets.

New Zealand performed well for the second year in a row, coming in 18th with 165,000 visitor arrivals (VA), a 5% increase over the previous historical record in 2024.

“The strong tourism receipts performance in 2025 puts us on a steady trajectory towards achieving our Tourism 2040 ambitions[1],” said Ms Melissa Ow, Chief Executive, Singapore Tourism Board. “We are attracting visitors who value the distinctive experiences that Singapore offers. To maintain this growth momentum and reinforce our destination appeal and global hub status, we will continue to develop a strong pipeline of differentiated products, events, and experiences.”

Tourism Performance Highlights

Tourism receipts performance from January to September 2025 puts full-year performance on track to exceed STB's projections of S$29.0 to S$30.5 billion for 2025[2]. TR growth was largely led by Sightseeing, Entertainment & Gaming and Food & Beverage (F&B), each showing 15% growth.

In addition, the hotel industry maintained stable performance in 2025, with Average Occupancy Rate (AOR) increasing year-on-year to 81.9% from 81.4% in 2024. Average Room Rate (ARR) was S$273.56 (-1%) and Revenue per Available Room (RevPAR) was S$224.04 (-0.4%). Hotel capacity expanded with 644 new hotel keys added to Singapore's accommodation landscape.

The cruise industry also demonstrated strong momentum with 375 ship calls (+10%) and over 2.0 million passenger throughput (+9%), cementing Singapore's position as the region's leading cruise hub in 2025.

Please refer to Annex A in the attached PDF for tourism performance charts.

New Experiences Boost Visitor Spending

The strong tourism spending can be attributed to the new and refreshed experiences across multiple industries such as attractions, cruise, events and MICE.

Attractions

Several major attractions opened in 2025, enhancing Singapore's destination appeal. These included Rainforest Wild Asia as Singapore's fifth wildlife park and Asia's first adventure-based zoological park and Curiosity Cove as Singapore's largest indoor playscape with over 30 experiential features at Mandai Wildlife Reserve. Other notable additions were Jurassic World: The Experience at Gardens by the Bay's Cloud Forest and Singapore Oceanarium at Resorts World Sentosa.

Rejuvenation efforts enhanced existing attractions, such as Chinatown Heritage Centre which reopened with immersive exhibits and character-led tours, while the Singapore Flyer refreshed its Time Capsule with a pre-flight experience featuring 10 interactive themed zones showcasing Singapore's 700-year transformation.

Cruise

Singapore welcomed new homeported ships including StarDream Cruises' Star Voyager, Royal Caribbean International's Ovation of the Seas, and The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection's Luminara, further expanding itinerary choices and diversifying cruise options for passengers.

Events and Entertainment

Singapore maintained its position as Asia's premier events capital with a diverse portfolio of world-class events throughout 2025. Key highlights included the FORMULA 1 (F1) Singapore Airlines Singapore Grand Prix as a major draw, with total attendance reaching 300,641 over the three-day event – an 11.7% increase from 2024.

Major sporting events included the World Aquatics Championships 2025 (first time in Southeast Asia), Singapore Festival of Football, and NBA Rising Stars Invitational. The live entertainment calendar featured the globally exclusive Lady Gaga in Singapore concerts, Blackpink's Deadline World Tour and Seventeen's Right Here World Tour.

Cultural celebrations continued to showcase Singapore's rich heritage such as the Chinese New Year Celebrations, River Hongbao, Gemilang Kampong Gelam and Deepavali Celebrations.

Hospitality

The hospitality industry saw new openings including Raffles Sentosa Singapore (Singapore's second Raffles property and first villa-only hotel), Mandai Rainforest Resort by Banyan Tree, The Laurus at Resorts World Sentosa (Singapore's first The Luxury Collection property), Mett Singapore (Southeast Asia's first Mett property by Sunset Hospitality Group), and Mama Shelter (the first Mama Shelter property in Asia).

Lifestyle Experiences

Exclusive first-in-region events further reinforced Singapore's position as a premier lifestyle destination, with CHANEL selecting Singapore as the sole global location to host its Cruise 2025/26 Collection show following its original presentation at Lake Como, and Cartier's Nature Sauvage high jewellery showcase where Singapore was one of only three international destinations and the sole Southeast Asia stop.

Singapore's culinary landscape expanded with notable openings including Belimbing by The Lo & Behold Group, Pop City by Jigger & Pony Group, Gilmore & Damian D'Silva, and Rempapa (relocated to the National Gallery Singapore) by OUE Restaurants. Resorts World Sentosa also launched Weave, a revamped 20,000 sqm retail space featuring over 40 lifestyle and premium brands, including Asia-exclusive flagship stores such as Singapore's Pierre Hermé patisserie and new-to-market brands like Korea's Standard Bread and Paul Pairet's Moutarde and Sundae Royale.

Meetings, Incentives, Conventions & Exhibitions (MICE)

The MICE industry also contributed to visitor spending, with a packed calendar of events. Major events included the Milken Institute Asia Summit, ITMA Asia + CITME, and several inaugural Asia editions of established international events including HealthTechX Asia 2025. Milken Institute also committed to anchor their Asia Summit in Singapore from 2026 to 2028. Notable incentive travel included the Sun Pharma Star Club Awards 2025 with 6,100 participants, representing the largest meeting and incentive movement from India.

The MICE industry reinforced Singapore's appeal as a premier business events destination, with Singapore ranking 3rd worldwide and 1st in Asia-Pacific according to the International Congress and Convention Association, and 2nd in Asia-Pacific in the Global Destination Sustainability Index.

Tourism Fuels Business Confidence Across the Sector

These efforts across different industries reflect business confidence in Singapore's tourism sector, as local and international businesses recognise the country's strength as leading tourism destination and a well-connected hub that enables significant visitor flows and provides access to diverse international markets.

This was further demonstrated by major infrastructural developments. Both integrated resorts saw significant expansions: Marina Bay Sands marked a major milestone in 2025 with the groundbreaking ceremony for its US$8 billion ultra-luxury development, which will feature a 570-suite luxury hotel tower with signature rooftop and dining experiences, 200,000 square feet of premium meeting space, a 15,000-seat arena, and additional F&B and retail options.

Resorts World Sentosa launched Illumination's Minion Land at Universal Studios Singapore, Singapore Oceanarium and Weave.

The completion of the $40 million Marina Bay Cruise Centre Singapore expansion increased passenger capacity from 6,800 to 11,700.

Celebrating Singapore's Story on the Global Stage

Branded entertainment collaborations presented Singapore through music videos featuring global artists. Leading these efforts was Coldplay's “Man In The Moon” music video, which created opportunities for over 100 local talents. Other notable productions included BTS Jin's “Don't Say You Love Me”, BLACKPINK's Jisoo “Your Love”, and 88rising's Xin Liu “Passion”.

Beyond music videos, STB leveraged film productions to showcase Singapore to global audiences. Notable projects included Netflix's Formula 1: Drive to Survive series, HBO Max's HACKS and leading Indonesian film studio MD Entertainment's Ahlan Singapore. Additional collaborations during FORMULA 1 (F1) Singapore Airlines Singapore Grand Prix 2025 featured global artists like David Corenswet and Dylan Wang in social content that further elevated our destination on the global stage.

Looking Ahead: Pipeline for 2026

The steady tourism performance in 2025 and continued development of new products and experiences provide a strong foundation for Singapore's Tourism 2040 vision.

New experiences to debut in 2026 include the return of Cirque du Soleil's KOOZA, the production's only Southeast Asia stop, Disney Cruise Line's first Asia homeport, and phase 2 of the Rainforest Wild at Mandai Wildlife Reserve.

The MICE industry will welcome significant events including the recently concluded Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence (AAAI) 2026 Annual Conference (first time outside USA in its 40-year history) and Herbalife Extravaganza 2026 (expected to be Singapore's largest Meeting & Incentive Travel event with 25,000 anticipated visitor arrivals).

Tourism outlook

STB expects 2026 international visitor arrivals to reach between 17 to 18 million, bringing in approximately S$31.0 to 32.5 billion in tourism receipts. The 2026 projections take a measured approach given global economic uncertainty and political instability affecting travel patterns globally.

“As we work towards our Tourism 2040 goals and a sustainable tourism sector, STB will continue to seek out opportunities to reach new markets and support our tourism enterprises and workforce to develop differentiated products and experiences,” added Ms Ow.

-End-

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Sedgwick Communications on behalf of Singapore Tourism Board

Yvonne Sewankambo

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Email: yvonne@sedgwickcommunications.com

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About Singapore Tourism Board

The Singapore Tourism Board (STB) is the lead development agency for tourism, one of Singapore's key economic sectors. Together with industry partners and the community, we shape a dynamic Singapore tourism landscape. We bring the Passion Made Possible brand to life by differentiating Singapore as a vibrant destination that inspires people to share and deepen their passions.

More: www.stb.gov.sg or www.visitsingapore.com   |  Follow us: STB LinkedIn, STB Facebook or STB Instagram

[1] Tourism 2040 | Singapore Tourism Board

[2] STB's projections for 2025 were for international visitor arrivals to reach between 17.0 to 18.5 million, bringing in approximately $29.0 to $30.5 billion in tourism receipts. The full-year 2025 TR figure will be available in 2Q 2026.