Nearly 1 million Chinese visitors spent over SGD 1 billion in Singapore in Q1

Visitors to Singapore spent less in the first quarter of this year on the back of global economic uncertainties, but the same period saw a 1% uptick in tourist arrivals year on year to reach 4.7 million.

Tourism spending was SGD 6.5 billion between January and March, a 4.8% decline compared to the same period in 2018, the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) said in its quarterly report on Aug 5.

China, Indonesia and India remained the biggest source of visitors and spending, with visitorship remaining relatively stable.

Nearly a million Chinese visitors spent more than SGD 1 billion excluding sightseeing, entertainment and gaming, a 1% decline compared to last year. Half of the spending was on shopping, making the Chinese tourists the biggest spenders in the category.

The United States registered the highest year-on-year growth in spending - 15% - with the largest proportion spent on accommodation.