The recovery of Singapore's tourism sector remains mixed but is improving, according to the Singapore Tourism Board STB), reinforcing the encouraging three consecutive months of passenger growth already reported by Changi Airport in August (+0.5%),

September (+6%), and October (+6%) following nine horrible months of consecutive declines.

For its part, the STB has separately reported a 0.5% decline to 845,000 visitor arrivals [including land, sea and air-Ed] in October 2009, compared with the same month in 2008, but encouragingly it points to growth in nine out of Singapore's top 15 visitor arrival markets.

Visitors from the Peoples Republic of China recorded their first growth since May 2008 of +8.4% to 83,000 – spurred by an unprecedented eight-day Golden Week holiday and visitors from the Hong Kong SAR registered the largest percentage growth of +27.4% (26,000) due to attractive travel package promotions.

Amongst the top 15 markets visitors from Malaysia rose by +26.2% to 69,000; visitors from India no change at 67,000; visitors from Vietnam by +11.8% to 21,000; Australia +7.6% to 82,000; Thailand +5.2% to 36,000; Germany +3.7% to 17,000; the USA +2.8% to 33,000; and the UK +2.3% to 41,000.

Markets still down in October 2009, included Japan -9% to 43,000; South Korea -48% to 16,000; The Philippines -1% to 38,000; and most pointedly Indonesia -13% to 137,000. The drop in South Korean visitors was attributed mainly to continued cautious travel sentiments around the global outbreak of Influenza A.

The STB said that growth in visitors from Malaysia, Vietnam, Australia, Germany and the UK could be partly attributed to promotions under the Singapore Tourism Board's 2009 Reasons to enjoy Singapore campaign.

Interestingly, visitor days for the month were estimated at 3.3m, representing a year-on-year decline of 4.6% in comparison with October 2008. [All statistics based on data provided by government disembarkation/embarkation cards-Ed].