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Hailing 2007 as a 'spectacular year' for the tourist industry here, STB chief Lim Neo Chian said this was the fourth successive year of growth for the sector. -- PHOTO: ST FILE
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SINGAPORE'S tourism sector set new records in 2007 as 10.3 million visitors came to the country, spending some $13.8 billion.
Visitor arrivals for the year was up 5.4 per cent over 2006, and surpassed the Singapore Tourism Board's (STB) expectations of 10.2 million.
'This is the higest visitor arrivals ever recorded in a single year for the Singapore tourism sector,' said STB on Wednesday.
Total visitor days grew 13.4 per cent to reach 38 million days in 2007.
Tourism receipts in 2007 also set a new benchmark of $13.8 billion, up 11.3 per cent over 2006.
Hailing 2007 as a 'spectacular year' for the tourist industry here, STB chief Lim Neo Chian said this was the fourth successive year of growth for the sector.
Speaking on the sidelines of the annual Asean tourism forum here on Wednesday, Mr Lim attributed the strong performance to the economic boom in key markets, as well as the growth of low cost carriers in the region which has led to more affordable air travel and greater accessibility to Singapore.
The five top markets in 2007 were Indonesia, China, Australia, India and Malaysia, which accounted for about 51 per cent of total visitor arrivals.
Singapore hotels have most to cheer about, with occupancy rate hitting new highs of 87 per cent and average room rates for the year peaking at S$202 - up 23.1 over a year ago.
Total room revenue reached an all-time high of $1.8 billion, an increase of 22.8 per cent over 2006.
In Decembe alone, Singapore welcomed 947,000 visitors, an increase of 4.8 per cent over December 2006. This sets a new record for the month of December.
Going forward, Mr Lim said 2008 is set to be an even more exciting year with the world's first Formula 1 Grand Prix race, Singapore airshow and the Singapore Flyer taking off.
Singapore hopes to welcome 17 million people a year by 2015.
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