Singapore says it’s ready for 2022 travel demand when it returns

There are “encouraging indicators of restoration” in Singapore’s tourism sector, in line with the Singapore Tourism Board.

Customer arrivals reached 330,000 and tourism receipts reached an estimated $1.9 billion Singapore {dollars} ($1.4 billion) in 2021, in line with information revealed right now by the nation’s tourism board.

These numbers, nevertheless, are down from 2020, when Singapore acquired 2.7 million guests, who spent practically $4.8 billion Singapore {dollars} that yr.

Singapore’s tourism sector recorded general year-on-year declines in customer numbers and tourism expenditures from 2020 to 2021, as a result of “robust tourism efficiency within the first two months of 2020,” in line with the media launch.

Singapore closed its borders in March 2020 in a bid to stem the unfold of Covid-19.

Acknowledging that final yr’s tourism numbers signify “solely a fraction of Singapore’s tourism efficiency previous to the pandemic,” the Singapore Tourism Board mentioned it’s seeing constructive tendencies resembling development within the final three quarters of 2021.

Throughout this time, worldwide customer arrivals elevated 221%, in comparison with the identical timeframe in 2020.

In 2021, China (88,000), India (54,000) and Indonesia (33,000) have been the highest supply markets for worldwide guests to Singapore.

From January to September final yr, guests from China spent SG$432 million, these from Indonesia spent SG$127 million and Indian guests spent SG$58 million. The numbers exclude sightseeing, leisure and gaming, STB mentioned.

It’s a begin for Singapore’s tourism trade, which in 2019 made practically SG$28 billion ($21 billion) in tourism receipts.

“We should anticipate setbacks and challenges even because the tourism trade recovers slowly. However I’m assured that the tourism trade has learnt from its experiences, and is poised to recapture demand when it returns,” Keith Tan, CEO on the Singapore Tourism Board, mentioned in an announcement.  

Singapore mentioned not too long ago it’s going to proceed to restrict the quantity of people that can enter the nation by its quarantine-free, vaccinated journey lane association. The gross sales of flight tickets might be capped at 50% of allotted quotas.

Nonetheless, some restrictions are easing. Those that enter the nation from Jan. 24 through vaccinated journey lane (VTL) flights can do unsupervised, self-administered speedy Covid exams for seven days after arrival in the event that they intend to go away their place of residence. Submission of outcomes shouldn’t be required.

Through the pandemic, the tourism sector tailored to give attention to home tourism, by initiatives such because the SingapoRediscovers marketing campaign and the SingapoRediscovers Vouchers scheme. Each have been launched in 2020 and have been aimed toward encouraging Singaporeans and residents to spend on motels and points of interest.

A number of new motels opened in 2021, together with The Clan, Duxton Reserve and Oasia Resort Sentosa. The common occupancy charge for Singapore motels final yr was 56% — decrease by 1% from 2020 which had the advantage of two months of vacationers earlier than borders have been closed.

The cruise trade additionally “rebounded strongly,” in line with the tourism board, as a result of recognition of so-called “cruises-to-nowhere” which began in late 2020.

“The introduction of varied journey preparations, resembling Vaccinated Journey Lanes (VTLs), has inspired the gradual return of worldwide vacationers. Home consumption has additionally been robust, because the tourism sector pivoted to develop new and modern experiences for locals,” the tourism board mentioned.  

To arrange for a full restoration, Singapore can be launching a “Tourism Careers Hub” in 2022 to coach and replace expertise for tourism staff and companies, in addition to these all for entering into the trade, in line with STB.

— CNBC’s Abigail Ng contributed to this report.

Correction: Attributable to an enhancing error, Singapore’s tourism receipts for 2019 was misstated. The correct quantity is $21 billion.