Business travelers, cruising, live events

Cheap hotels and swaying palm trees have long attracted travelers to Southeast Asia, but Singapore has doubled another strategy.

Officials on Friday outlined plans to increase city-state tourism revenues from $47 million to $50 million over the next 15 years, from a record-breaking $29.8 million in 2024.

Singapore’s “Tourism 2040” strategy is focused on increasing demand from two different groups: business and stopover travelers. Grace Who, Singapore’s Sustainability and the Environment Minister, said at the National Tourism Industry Conference 2025.

Authorities are aiming to triple tourism revenue from so-called “mouse” travelers, or those traveling to attend meetings, incentives, practices and exhibitions, Fu said.

“On average, Mouse visitors spend twice as much as leisure visitors, making it a very valuable segment for Singapore,” she said. “The global mouse sector is expected to double its value over the next decade.”

The country is also looking to develop a new mouse hub in the downtown area of ​​Singapore, Fu said.

At the event, Melissa Ou, CEO of the Singapore Tourism Board, said that the profits of the mouse industry are beyond the tourism realm.

They “will grow their economic weight by further deepening their connections with the Priority Industry and convening influential Singapore actors and thought leaders, thereby enabling them to expand their position as the world’s best mouse city,” she said.

OW has announced that Singapore has secured its biggest mouse event, Herbalife Extravaganza 2026.

Also, stop travelers are expected to generate more tourism revenue, particularly after the opening of Terminal 5 at Changi Airport, scheduled for the mid-2030s.

Still, leisure travelers are important to city-states, OW said.

To attract them, Singapore will continue to focus on offering “world-class attractions,” she said. This strategy is adopted to compete with cheap tourist destinations in the region.

OW said the opening of the Singapore Oceanarium, which is scheduled to open later this year, will be open with new attractions holding the artwork, including the Porsche Experience Centre and the new science centre.

Singapore is also aiming to strengthen its position in Asia’s growing cruise industry, she said.

She mentioned the famous launch of Disney Cruise Line’s “Disney Adventure” which will open in Singapore in December, and the introduction of the Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection ‘Luminarra, a luxurious super-yacht set that will begin sailing from Singapore in December.

Beyond cruising, the island said it was well-located to capture the rise in wellness tourism, citing “a unique value proposition as a city in nature.”

She said the Singapore Tourism Authority has identified longevity trips and “wellness hotels” as ways to repeat visitor spending and repeated visits.

The Singapore Tourism Board will cite Lady Gaga’s upcoming concerts to enhance its efforts to portray more world-class sports, lifestyles and music events.

OW said new venues will open in the coming years, including a new theatre in the bay garden and the arena at Marina Bay Sands, the island’s largest hotel.

For young basketball fans, Singapore will host the NBA Rising Star Invitational for young people under the age of 18 – the first in the league – featuring exclusive coaching sessions and meetings and greets.

According to the Singapore Tourism Authority, Singapore welcomed the international arrivals of 16.5 million people in 2024.

The OW said the board has identified new tourism markets such as Saudi Arabia and Kazakhstan and is diversifying by increasing visitors to Singapore.