Content Writer: Janice Chew • Thursday, 25/10/2025 - 15:58:09 - PM
Singapore’s overnight visitor count from January to September 2025 reached 9.52 million, virtually unchanged year-on-year. Although total international arrivals edged up to 12.88 million (a 2.3 % increase), the portion staying overnight—considered a stronger indicator of tourism health—remained stagnant.
September stood out with some of the weakest month-on-month performance: overnight visitor numbers dropped 6.8 % to 883,130, while total arrivals fell by 1.3 % to 1.25 million. That month also recorded the lowest monthly inbound visitor tally so far in 2025, contrasting with January, July and August when arrival numbers exceeded 1.6 million.
Among source markets, China remained dominant with about 2.5 million visitors (about 87.7 % of its 2019 pre-COVID level). Indonesia and Malaysia followed with 1.84 million and 931,850 visitors respectively. The average length of stay across all markets was 3.52 days (down 1.6 %), while Chinese visitors averaged 3.78 days.
The stagnation in overnight numbers raises concerns about Singapore’s ability to convert short-stay or transiting visitors into longer-stay tourists—especially amid intensifying competition across Southeast Asia. With visitor growth concentrated in arrivals but not in stay volume, Singapore may need to review its tourism value propositions and strategies to reinforce its appeal as more than just a stopover.