Off the wire
• Greek PM seeks political momentum during Latvia EU summit to reach debt deal by June  • Kenya Prisons recruit new blood to replace ageing sportsmen  • Cambodia agrees to take in 4 Australian refugees  • Bayer Leverkusen agree on contract extension with coach Roger Schmidt  • 2nd LD Writethru: British bomb-maker found guilty of killing U.S. soldier in Iraq  • Xinhua world news summary at 1530 GMT, May 21  • News Analysis: Battles at S. Sudan's oil fields threaten to cause harm on economics of Sudan, S. Sudan  • Xavi announces Barca departure, but eyes return as coach  • EU announces 5.1 mln euros of humanitarian aid to Yemen  • British retail sales increases 1.2 pct in April  
You are here: 　 Home

Chinese tourist arrivals to Singapore set to rise

Xinhua, May 21, 2015 Adjust font size:

Chinese tourist arrivals to Singapore set to get boost as the country's Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) announced Multiple Journey Visas (MJVs) valid for a maximum of 10 years will be granted to Chinese who travel to the city state from June 1, reported Channel NewsAsia on Thursday.

Industry observers said this will have spillover benefits for the wider economy, and can help Singapore keep its place amid a competitive regional tourism landscape.

Chief economist of Emerging Asia at Barclays Leong Wai Ho believed the re-entry permit is an incremental step to change the game, which helps to attract more upmarket Chinese travelers, middle class and people starting to travel in a niche fashion across Southeast Asia.

The number of visitors from China fell by 3.4 percent in February this year. In 2014, about 11 percent of visitors to Singapore came from China, making it the second largest source market for inbound tourists, both in terms of arrivals and expenditure. However, in absolute terms, there were only 1.7 million visitors from the mainland of China, which is a drop of 24 percent when compared to 2.3 million in 2013.

Industry watchers said the increase in Chinese arrivals can help local businesses, especially the retail sector. One of the more popular destinations among the Chinese is Orchard Road. The Chinese tourists spend about twice as much on shopping compared to travelers from other markets. Overall, their per capita expenditure is about 20 percent higher than the average visitor to Singapore.

Observers also noted that the ease of returning to Singapore could benefit other segments in the services sector, including healthcare, education and finance.

In 2014, the average length of stay for Chinese visitors in Singapore was up to 4.3 days, compared to just over three days a couple of years ago. Endi