Indonesia Overtakes China as Singapore’s Top Source of Tourists Amid Seasonal Decline
Singapore’s international visitor arrivals dropped to 1.13 million in September, marking a decline for the second consecutive month. The September figures were down from 1.31 million recorded in August, although still 44.6% higher than the 782,215 visitors in September 2022.
This decline follows the seasonal trend seen in previous years, where travel demand typically cools off after the peak periods in July and August. Indonesia emerged as the top source of visitors, surpassing China for the first time in several months. Indonesia sent 175,601 tourists to Singapore in September, up from 167,854 the previous month. China, which had previously held the top spot, recorded 135,677 visitors, a significant drop from 214,491 in August.
The decrease in Chinese visitors is in line with pre-pandemic patterns, and factors such as China’s economic slowdown and rising travel costs are also believed to have contributed to the decline. Despite the dip, Australia, Malaysia, and India continued to be strong sources of visitors to Singapore, with Australia seeing a rise in arrivals from 80,378 in August to 104,497 in September.
