Singapore’s tourism sector began 2026 with a softer start, as international visitor arrivals in January fell to 1.50 million, an 8.1% decrease compared to the same month last year. The decline was largely driven by lower inflows from mainland China and Indonesia, two of the city-state’s most significant source markets.
Overnight Visitors Also Decline
Of the total arrivals, 1.11 million were overnight visitors, marking a 7.0% drop year-on-year. The average length of stay dipped slightly to 3.43 days, down 2.6% from January 2025, reflecting both fewer arrivals and shorter visits.
Top Source Markets Remain Consistent
The top five source markets remained unchanged from 2025:
- Mainland China: 271,950 visitors (–27.8% YoY)
- Indonesia: 218,440 visitors (–13.2% YoY)
- Australia: 140,780 visitors
- Malaysia: 116,680 visitors
- India: 86,000 visitors
While the order of markets is consistent, the significant drop from China and Indonesia highlights uneven recovery across regions.
Context from 2025 Performance
In 2025, mainland China remained Singapore’s largest market, with 3.1 million arrivals, a modest 0.7% increase from 2024, though still 85.4% of pre-pandemic levels in 2019. Indonesia followed with 3.11 million visitors. Singapore’s total international arrivals reached 16.9 million in 2025, up 2.3% from 2024, showing that overall recovery continues, albeit unevenly.
Tourism Hotspots Feel the Impact
Singapore’s flagship attractions, including its casino duopoly – Resorts World Sentosa (Genting Singapore Ltd) and Marina Bay Sands (Las Vegas Sands Corp.), remain highly sensitive to shifts in visitor numbers. Drops from major source markets affect occupancy, gaming, and ancillary tourism revenue.
Outlook
The January slowdown signals the need for Singapore’s tourism stakeholders to monitor market dynamics closely, particularly in China and Indonesia, while leveraging domestic and alternative regional sources to stabilize visitor numbers in the early months of 2026.
