Easing visa restrictions for tourists from major markets such as China, India and Russia could help Singapore attract 358,000 to 504,000 more visitors in 2016 than current policies, a report by the World Travel and Tourism Commission (WTTC) and the United Nations-affiliated World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) said.
Data from the Singapore Tourism Authority (STB), released in mid-October, showed that mainland Chinese tourists visiting Singapore fell 47% in the second quarter from a year earlier, compared with nearly 44% quarter-on-quarter.
Overall tourism revenue fell 3% year-on-year to S$5.6 billion ($4.3 billion) during the same period due to lower shopping.
However, data from STB shows that Singapore’s “tourism, entertainment and gaming” revenue, which comprises its casino gambling division, actually rose 12% year-over-year in the second quarter of 2014 to just over $1.47 billion.
The WTTC and UNWTO’s latest report, “The Impact of the Promotion of Visas to ASEAN Member States,” which refers to the Southeast Asian Country Club that Singapore belongs to, was compiled based on Singapore’s UNWTO tourist arrivals in 2013. The data indicates 11.9 million visitors during the period. Singapore’s tourism agency’s own statistics showed 15.6 million arrivals that year.
A WTTC spokesperson told Singapore media outlet Today that UNWTO’s figures are generally considered the most authoritative and consistent source in several countries.
Singapore should consider e-visa programs and regional agreements for visa facilitation and maximize infocom technology to improve visa procedures, the WTTC said. 안전 슬롯사이트
These measures could further boost tourism revenues from S$768 million to S$1.08 billion, the report estimated.
Singapore’s casinos are facing intensifying regional competition and “potential changes in gaming policy that weigh on medium-term growth and profitability prospects,” credit research firm Fitch Ratings Inc said in a statement on Oct. 30.