VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Singapore recorded the growth of tourist arrivals and expenditure for four consecutive years from 2016 to 2019. The number of tourist arrivals last year was 3.3 percent higher than the previous year. Tourists spending also grew 0.5 percent to be more than US$ 27 billion. However Chief Executive of the Singapore Tourism Board Keith Tan said on Tuesday (Feb12) that the outbreak of new Coronavirus could stop this growing conditions. Keith Tan also said, Singapore tourism sector might go down 25 to 30 percent this year. According to him, the longer the travel ban is applied, the decline will certainly greater.

"We see now a lot of 18 to 20 thousand visitors per day and most of them are Chinese tourists. So the longer the situation persist the longer the travel restriction on place the fall will be greater. They'll be element of confidence building, they'll be element of encouraging Singaporean to come out to enjoy, they'll be element to amplify our marketing efforts," said Keith Tan.

Chinese tourists make up the largest part from the number of tourist arrivals in Singapore, reaches around 20 percent. Therefore the Singapore government hopes the Coronavirus outbreak in China will immediately stop and not be a heavy blow to the Singapore tourism sector in particular and the world in general. Meanwhile, hotel industry is currently implementing low season prices while preparing a number of recovery efforts. (VOI/NK/Edt.N)