Singapore welcomes 16.9 mn visitors; tourism receipts hit all-time high
Grace Fu, Minister-in-charge of Trade Relations
As part of Singapore’s long-term Tourism 2040 strategy, the Singapore Tourism Board is aiming to raise tourism receipts to between SGD 47 billion and SGD 50 billion by 2040.
According to online reports, Singapore recorded its strongest tourism performance to date in 2025, with tourism receipts climbing to a record SGD 32.8 billion (USD 25.9 billion), surpassing the previous high of SGD 29.8 billion achieved in 2024.
Speaking at the Tourism Industry Conference 2026 on May 8, Grace Fu, Minister-in-charge of Trade Relations, said the growth reflected the resilience and continued appeal of Singapore as a global travel destination, while cautioning that emerging geopolitical and economic uncertainties could impact future momentum.
“Our strong performance in 2025 is encouraging, but we cannot afford to be complacent,” Fu stated, pointing to the ongoing Middle East energy crisis and its potential effect on consumer spending patterns worldwide.
As part of Singapore’s long-term Tourism 2040 strategy, the Singapore Tourism Board is aiming to raise tourism receipts to between SGD 47 billion and SGD 50 billion by 2040.
To support these ambitions, the government announced an additional SGD 740 million allocation to the Tourism Development Fund over the next five years, adding to the more than SGD 300 million committed in 2024.
Fu noted that the new funding would help drive the next phase of tourism growth and strengthen Singapore’s competitiveness as an international tourism and events destination.
The investment package includes SGD 5 million earmarked for grants that will assist businesses with marketing initiatives and efforts to boost attendance at business events hosted in Singapore. Another SGD 5 million has been allocated to a market access initiative aimed at helping tourism businesses expand into new international markets.
At the same conference, Melissa Ow, Singapore Tourism Board Chief Executive, revealed that Singapore welcomed 16.9 million international visitors in 2025, marking further progress towards the country’s Tourism 2040 objectives.
She highlighted several milestones achieved during the year, including a record performance by Changi Airport, which handled nearly 70 million passenger movements. Cruise tourism also registered strong growth, with passenger traffic crossing the two million mark.
Despite the positive results, Ow warned that global uncertainties may affect tourism demand in the coming months. “Our tourism businesses are under strain from the crisis and the global uncertainty that persist,” she said, while noting that international visitor arrivals had still increased by 3 per cent year-on-year during the first quarter.
