Singapore welcomed a total of around 124,760 visitor arrivals through January and February, representing a better than 200% improvement over the same period in 2020, according to the CEO of the Singapore Tourism Board (STB).
The improved numbers, reported by local media outlet The Straits Times, follow the launch of Vaccinated Travel Lanes last September and the gradual easing of border restrictions for arrivals from 30 countries in the months since.
The STB’s Keith Tan said Singapore had welcomed 67,760 international visitor arrivals in January, up from 23,148 in January 2021, and around 57,000 international visitor arrivals in February, up from 17,953.
In total, the approximately 125,000 arrivals for the first two months of this year represent an year-on-year increase of just over 200%.
“These figures show there is healthy demand for short-term visits to Singapore,” Tan told The Straits Times.
“Travel recovery will be gradual this year, but we are cautiously optimistic as there is strong pent-up demand for travel to Singapore, even from longer-haul markets.”
It was also reported that business travel has been quicker to recover than leisure travel with Singapore Hotel Association President Kwee Wei-Lin pointing to strong business visitation from the United States, Europe and Australia.
“We see a greater rebound for business travel,” she said. “Based on current safe management measures, it is more favorable for visitors who must be in Singapore for business meetings.”
Marriott International reported that business travel is back to around 25% of pre-pandemic levels, while Marina Bay Sands said there was clear improvement in both the business and leisure travel segments.
Singapore officials announced last week that they planned to dump the VTL scheme altogether and open the borders to all fully vaccinated travellers in the near future, although an exact date has yet to be provided.
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