Singapore expects another record year for tourism sector

Mar 22, 2011, 4:33 GMT

Singapore - Singapore on Tuesday said it expected another record year for its tourism sector in 2011, after last year's boost from the opening of two multi-billion-dollar casino resorts.

Visitor arrivals were likely to reach 12 to 13 million, growing as much as 12 per cent from a year earlier, Senior Minister for Trade and Industry S Iswaran said.

Tourism receipts were expected to rise even more, jumping up to 28 per cent to between 22 and 24 billion Singapore dollars (17.4 to 18.9 billion US dollars), he said.

'In seven to eight years we expect tourist arrivals to double,' the minister told an industry conference.

Last year, Singapore welcomed a record 11.6 million visitors with tourism revenues, including accommodation, shopping, sightseeing, food and entertainment, hitting an all-time high of 18.8 billion Singapore dollars.

Tourists from Asia have consistently accounted for more than 70 per cent of all Singapore visitors in recent years, according to the tourism board.

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