60 years of tourism: Mapping Singapore’s journey as a top destination

SINGAPORE – Over the past six decades, the tourism sector has made great strides in contributing to Singapore’s economy.

In 2019, the country gained $27.9 billion in tourism receipts and welcomed 19.1 million visitors – both were record-high numbers.

For 2024, it is projecting tourism receipts between $27.5 billion and $29 billion, and between 15 and 16.5 million tourist arrivals.

Here is a look back at some of Singapore’s tourism milestones since 1964.

1960s

Jan 1, 1964: The Singapore Tourist Promotion Board (STPB) was established.