Singapore pulls ahead in Southeast Asia’s race to win back Chinese tourists

The number of Chinese tourists visiting the city state has nearly returned to pre-pandemic levels, outpacing the recovery in Thailand and Indonesia

Visa exemptions helped. Singapore is also one of the few countries where China is viewed positively, research indicates – and the feeling’s reciprocal

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Tourists gather for photos near the Merlion statue in Singapore. More than 327,000 people arrived in the city state from China last month, official figures show. Photo: AFP

Published: 9:12am, 20 Mar 2024Updated: 9:53am, 20 Mar 2024

While most of the world is still awaiting the return of deep-pocketed Chinese tourists, tiny Singapore is a global exception.

More than 327,000 people arrived in Singapore from China in February, about 96 per cent of the level seen in 2019, according to data released by Singapore Tourism Board last week. The number is expected to surge in the months ahead, with scheduled departure seats in the first quarter already at 101 per cent of 2019 levels, data from Cirium shows.

The recovery has outpaced gains in neighbouring markets, with Thailand seeing tourism at around 63 per cent of pre-pandemic levels in February and Indonesia at about 48 per cent in the latest quarter. In Europe, projected visitors from China are expected to be about 40 per cent lower than in 2019, while the United States’ National Travel and Tourism Office is projecting total 2024 arrivals at roughly 73 per cent of pre-Covid levels due in part to geopolitical tensions.

Sometimes it feels like China. I can get around using Mandarin and Hokkien

Madam Zhuo, tourist from Xiamen

Singapore’s decision to drop visa requirements for visitors from China, its focus on safety and a push into unique cultural and entertainment events positioned it to benefit as the world’s second most populous country reopened after years of gruelling Covid controls. The moves came together over the Lunar New Year holiday, when many travellers flocked to visit family and friends who had relocated to the city state in recent years.

For Madam Zhuo, a native of Xiamen who was visiting her daughter and 10-year-old grandson, comfort is part of Singapore’s allure. The city where her family moved a year ago is much more accessible than other countries, she said, with more than 70 per cent of residents being ethnic Chinese.

“Singapore is very urban, very clean, very expensive,” Zhuo said while walking through Merlion Park, home to the eponymous statue and a prime beneficiary of the travel boom. “Sometimes it feels like China. I can get around in [using] Mandarin and Hokkien.”

Chinese tourists are also spending more, despite the sluggish economy and weak consumer sentiment at home. Data from Trip.com shows the average outlay per visit to Singapore for expenses like flights and hotels rose 30 per cent from a year earlier.