Singapore Tourism Board Strengthens India Focus Amid Visitor Rise

Indian Visitor Arrivals and Tourism Receipts Show Growth

Singapore recorded over 600,000 Indian visitors between January and June 2026, according to data from the Singapore Tourism Board (STB). This period, the first half of 2026, demonstrates India's growing importance to Singapore's tourism economy. Indian travellers contributed S$374 million in tourism receipts during the first quarter of 2026 alone.

This figure represents an 8 per cent increase year-on-year, marking the strongest growth among all of Singapore's source markets for that quarter.

This consistent performance occurs despite global challenges within the travel sector, as stated by Markus Tan, Regional Director (India, Middle East, South Asia & Africa) for the Singapore Tourism Board, who noted the strength of existing relationships with Indian travellers, airline partners, and the travel trade.

Expanded Strategy Targets Leisure and Business Segments

Building on this momentum, the Singapore Tourism Board is enhancing its long-term approach in India. The strategy includes new travel and aviation partnerships, initiatives for Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions (MICE), and cruise tourism, alongside new destination offerings and targeted consumer campaigns.

From July to November 2026, the STB is collaborating with MakeMyTrip on a pan-India campaign, promoting hotel stays and holiday packages of four nights or more. This campaign reaches travellers via MakeMyTrip BLACK, while a separate joint effort with MakeMyTrip and HSBC India targets HSBC Premier members.

The partnership also extends to travel trade professionals through MakeMyTrip’s B2B platform, myPartner. Furthermore, the STB plans a MICE roadshow in New Delhi and a leisure trade roadshow in Mumbai to deepen engagement across India’s business and leisure travel markets.

MICE and Cruise Tourism See Continued Demand

Singapore continues to observe demand from India’s corporate and incentive travel market. Following the movement of over 6,000 Sun Pharma delegates in the previous year, recent corporate groups included Google India, ICICI Lombard, and Arvind Limited.

The STB forecasts further movements during the remainder of 2026 from sectors such as BFSI, pharmaceuticals, IT and technology, FMCG, automotive, and manufacturing.

Supporting this segment is the Singapore Hotels Incentives for Business Events (SHINE) programme, which provides meeting planners with preferential accommodation rates, delegate activities, and other benefits through participating hotels. Singapore is also strengthening its role as a regional cruise hub.

The year-round deployment of Disney Adventure, which began in March 2026, aims to broaden demand beyond traditional family holidays to include milestone celebrations, multigenerational travel, and corporate incentive groups.

The cruise pipeline will expand further with Navigator of the Seas homeporting in Singapore from October 2026 to October 2027, followed by Voyager of the Seas from January to April 2028, offering regional itineraries.

New Attractions and Events Drive Repeat Visits

Singapore consistently expands its tourism offerings for first-time and returning visitors. Recent additions include Rainforest Wild Adventure and Exploria at Mandai Wildlife Reserve, the redeveloped Singapore Oceanarium at Resorts World Sentosa, and IMBA Theatre at Gardens by the Bay.

The destination’s year-round events calendar also forms a key focus, encompassing major sporting, entertainment, and cultural events such as the Formula 1 Singapore Airlines Singapore Grand Prix and concerts by international artists.

The STB is also increasing its focus on younger Indian travellers through its global ‘We Don’t Wait For Fun’ campaign, presenting Singapore as a destination for live entertainment, nightlife, music, food, culture, and lifestyle. India-focused collaborations have included Twin Strings for the four-part Rhythms of Singapore music series and rapper DIVINE for the music video Saucy.

The STB has also worked with Vogue India and Esquire India on digital content featuring personalities such as AP Dhillon, Sawai Padmanabh Singh, and Gauravi Kumari. The ‘Friends of Singapore 2.0’ initiative will evolve into an always-on digital programme, working with influencers to regularly showcase new and evolving activities in Singapore.

Outlook: Sustained Demand and Quality Visitation for Singapore

The Singapore Tourism Board's expanded initiatives in India are designed to convert current visitor and tourism-spend growth into sustained demand. The board aims to encourage quality visitation, repeat travel, and increased leisure and MICE flows from the Indian market.

For travellers, this strategy suggests a continued focus on varied offerings, from new attractions and entertainment options to diverse cruise itineraries, providing more reasons to visit Singapore.

For the industry, particularly in India, these partnerships and campaigns show a clear commitment from Singapore to deepen engagement, which could translate into more structured travel packages and business opportunities for tour operators and MICE organisers.

The ongoing collaborations with travel platforms and media outlets reveal a concerted effort to keep Singapore prominent in the minds of potential Indian visitors across different demographics.