China beats Indonesia as Singapore's largest source of tourists in Q3

By Hoang Phong October 14, 2024 | 03:22 pm PT

Tourists pose for photos with background of Esplanade Theatres at Merlion Park in Singapore, October 2024. Photo by VnExpress/Quy Nguyen

Singapore welcomed 1.83 million tourists from China in the third quarter of this year, making China the top source of visitors to the island nation.

Indonesia, previously Singapore's largest source of tourists, dropped to second place with 547,000 visitors, followed by Australia, Malaysia, and India, according to statistics from the Singapore Tourism Board.

So far this year, Singapore has recorded 12.59 million foreign arrivals, a 24% increase year-on-year.

For comparison, Thailand welcomed nearly 27 million foreign tourists in the first nine months of this year, a 30% rise year-on-year, while Vietnam saw 12.7 million arrivals during the same period, surpassing last year's total.

Since Feb. 9, holders of passports issued by Singapore and China have been exempt from visa requirements for stays of up to 30 days in each country.

Changi Airport is currently connected to 31 Chinese cities through 16 airlines, with more than 430 flights to China each week, or over 60 per day, according to the Changi Airport Group.

In 2024, Singapore is projected to attract 15 to 16 million international visitors, generating S$26 billion to S$27.5 billion (US$19-21 billion) in revenue.