Singapore welcomed more international visitors in the first quarter of 2019 than over the same period 12 months earlier, however their spending fell 4.7% including a 3% decline in the Sightseeing, Entertainment and Gaming segment.
The 1Q19 figures formed part of the Singapore Tourism Board’s quarterly report, released on Monday, which showed a 1% increase in visitation to 4 .7 million but reduced spending of SG$6.5 billion.
Spending in the Sightseeing, Entertainment and Gaming segment was SG$1.46 billion, down 3% on 1Q18 levels.
China was the number one tourist source with 960,000 ahead of Indonesia, India, Malaysia and Australia with those five destinations combined comprising 54% of all arrivals.
Gazetted hotel room revenue for the quarter grew 4.3% to SG$1.0 billion.
As reported by Inside Asian Gaming, Genting Singapore warned that its underlying revenue for 1Q19 had been negatively impacted by a slowing regional economy with the impact most heavily felt in its mass market operations.