Tourism Receipts pegged at S$5bln for the first quarter

Of all the components, Sightseeing & Entertainment (including Gaming) posted the highest growth of 321%.

The estimated S$4.98 billion worth of Tourism Receipts for the first quarter of 2011 represents a 35.7% growth compared to the same period in 2010.

Meanwhile International Visitor Arrivals (IVA) reached 3.12 million in Q1 2011, representing a 15.7% year-on-year growth. All three months in Q1 2011 saw record high IVA with January registering the largest increase. March remains the top visitor-generating month in Q1 2011.

Visitor Days were estimated at 11.7 million days, a growth of 12% in comparison with the same quarter last year. Indonesia (577,000), P R China (412,000), Malaysia (256,000), Australia (222,000), and India (171,000) were Singapore's top five international visitor-generating markets in Q1 2011. These markets accounted for 53% of total IVA for the quarter.

In terms of full year performance, final estimates for TR for January to December 2010 are S$18.9 billion, a 50% year-on-year growth.