Singapore Visitor Arrivals for September 2008

In September 2008, visitor arrivals to Singapore reached 739,000, registering a decline of 4.1% compared to September 2007. Visitor days were estimated at 3.2 million days, an increase of 6.2% in comparison with September 2007.

Indonesia (143,000), Australia (73,000), P.R. China (66,000), India (53,000) and Japan (48,000) were Singapore’s top five visitor-generating markets. These markets accounted for 52% of total visitor arrivals for the month.

The decline in visitor arrivals in the recent months reflects the challenging global economic environment and outlook for the tourism sector, which may continue into 2009. With the current global economic climate, there is now a general air of uncertainty which has impacted consumer sentiments and discretionary spending. Visitor arrivals and tourism receipts are expected to fall short of the 2008 targets.

Visitor arrivals in September 2008 saw a surge from 25 to 30 September, against a decline in the rest of the month, compared to September 2007. This can be attributed largely to the occurrence of the 2008 Formula 1 SingTel Singapore Grand Prix and pre-Hari Raya traffic in late September 2008. From 25 to 27 September, the growth in visitor arrivals peaked at 30.3%, and continued its positive trend with an 11.7% increase from 28 to 30 September, in comparison to the same periods in September 2007. In contrast, visitor arrivals from 1 to 24 September 2008 recorded an average decline of 10%, against the same period in September 2007.

Singapore gazetted hotels were estimated to generate Sin$186 million in room revenue, representing a growth of 26.3% versus September 2007.

The Average Room Rate (ARR) in September 2008 was estimated at a record Sin$306, representing an increase of 49.5% over September 2007. The Average Occupancy Rate (AOR) for hotels was estimated to reach 73% in September 2008, posting an 11.6 percentage point decrease over September 2007. Revenue Per Available Room (RevPAR) grew by 29.2% to reach Sin$224 for September 2008, setting a new record for RevPAR.

See also: Singapore Visitor Arrivals for August 2008 and other recent news regarding: Travel News Asia, Promotions, New Hotels, Singapore, Visitor Arrivals, September 2008