Singapore : The World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) on February 20 reveals that Singapore is on track to break its all-time international arrivals record this year, outpacing other major Southeast Asian destinations such as Thailand and the Philippines.

According to the latest research, international arrivals are projected to reach almost 16 million in 2025-9.6 per cent above pre-pandemic levels in 2019.

India is fueling a major tourism surge, with arrivals expected to jump from just over 1.11 million in 2019 to 1.25 million in 2025-the highest on record.

Despite a slow rebound in outbound travel from China globally, record numbers of Chinese visitors are set to head to Singapore this year, to reach almost 2.8 million, setting the stage for further growth in 2026.

International arrivals to Thailand are also set to break all records this year with a 5 per cent growth, whilst the Philippines will come within touching distance of its previous high of 2019.

Malaysia is expected to see international visitor numbers rise by almost 10 per cent ahead of 2019 levels and is expected to break its previous high reached in 2016, by almost 7 per cent this year.

In 2024, Travel & Tourism was projected to pump USD 66.1 billion into Singapore's economy, accounting for 9.8 per cent of GDP, and support a record 570,000 jobs.

By the end of the decade, the sector is expected to contribute almost USD 80 billion to the economy.