Surge in Chinese tourist arrivals in Singapore for Labour Day 'Golden Week'

The post-pandemic return of Chinese tourists to Singapore surged during China's five-day May Day holiday that started on May 1, with tour operators reporting that arrival numbers rose by at least 20 per cent during the period.

- Varun Karthik

Trip.com Group, which operates E Ctrip, the largest online travel agency in China, registered a 20 per cent increase in flight bookings to Singapore for the period of May1 to May 5, compared with the same period in 2019.

"The removal of visa requirements that took effect in February is certainly a major contributing factor to the return of Chinese tourists to Singapore," said Trip.com Singapore general manager Edmund Ong.

Chinese travel firm Tongcheng Travel said international flight and hotel bookings to Singapore through its online platform for May's "Golden Week" holiday more than doubled year on year, according to a spokesperson for the company.

Meanwhile, travel booking site Klook said it observed an increase of over 80 per cent in Chinese traveller bookings for experiences, which include attractions and tours, and hotels for the period of May 1 to 5, compared with the five days prior.

The Singapore Tourism Board (STB) said visitor arrival figures for the first week of May were not yet available.