The British National Center, Tony Kroos, was his first foot in Singapore in 1992, when the city’s main withdrawals in the city were glossy shopping centers, the beating night Zockete and the famous Singapore Zoo.

Today, the rear -seat shopping was taken, as goods prices rose alongside commercial rents in a city where the area is rare. The club industry in Singapore, which was once at difficult times, is hurting with high costs and turning alcohol consumption habits.

Competition from other cities in Southeast Asia, which is much cheaper for a visit, is also heating.

Instead of competing for the price, Singapore depends on global -level attractions Marina Bay Sandsand Gardens from the Gulf And expansion Mandai wildlife reserve To draw both travelers budget and luxury alike.

Others reach business and events conferences, from the annual Formula One Night race to concerts by Megastars such as Taylor Swift and ColdPlay. This year, Singapore hosts concerts by Lady Gaga on 18, 19, 21 and 24-her only stop in the Asia Pacific region-according to Singapore Airlines, which is the Krisflyer reward program, a partner for concerts.

“Singapore built itself a wonderful place like Southeast Asia, which can be reached in the 1980s and 1990s. But many other cities in the region have also increased its game,” said Cross, a financial advisor who visited the island.

Singapore attracted 16.5 million visitors abroad in 2024, an increase of 21 % over 2023, according to the Singapore Tourism Council. The numbers do not include hundreds of thousands of people entering Singapore daily via two bridges that connect Singapore to Malaysia.

This is a significant increase since 1992, when the city’s country attracted less than 6 million visitors, according to national archives in the country. However, it is still shy of 19.1 million who arrived in 2019.

The Singapore Tourism Council expects that the expatriates will grow for visitors to between 17 million and 18.5 million this year, supported by a wide range of life and mice events. Wild Asia rain forestsA garden opened last week, on the Disney Adventure Cruise ship that is scheduled to sail in December.

The Tourism Council in Singapore said Travel CNBC It will continue to support projects that provide interactive experiences in line with the global shift towards experimental travel.

Gallastin Tan, the former head of the major events of the company that runs the Singapore Sports Center, said the location of Taylor Swift’s concerts last year, that Singapore needs a vibrant tourist sector to attract and keep the human capital that makes it a global city. This includes the development of a set of fixed assets such as Marina Bay Sands and “liquid” assets such as concerts and sporting and cultural events.

He said that having a wide range of tourist attractions will enhance local spending and create job opportunities locally.

The sectors of retail, food and beverages in Singapore contracted last year even with the expansion of the total economy by 4.4 %, as the increase in spending by the residents of Singapore abroad instead of increasing tourism receipts.

Tan said: “The challenge remains that Singapore remains at the forefront, as regional countries and cities arrest their unique governor of tourism.” “Tourists have more options now.”

Expedia, an online travel giant, said that the flight operations for flights to Singapore from China, Indonesia and India-the three largest sources of visitors in the country-decreased 1 % for the period from February to July 2025, compared to the previous six period. The company said that the search for housing also decreased by 2 % during the same period.

Singapore remains a famous destination for mice events, as it ranks second after Paris in the international classification of conferences and conference association for 2023. However, Thailand and Malaysia utter sorting in the sector, due to low costs and improving infrastructure.

Albert Lee, the Malaysian events organizer, said that the space of quality conferences in Kuala Labor can be rented for half of its costs of its cost in Singapore, while dinner can be arranged for 40 in a nice restaurant with entertainment and transportation at a third price. He added that the costs in Bangkok are comparable to Kuala Lumpur.

“Singapore is the perfect site for events – it’s cute, safe and accessible and STB is very useful. But the costs are very high,” he said.

Lee indicated that although Kuala Labor does not have famous hotels like Singapore Marina Bay Sands, five -star hotels in the city are much lower. For example, the cost of a room in the Shangri-La Singapore $ 500 Singapore ($ 375) on a night compared to $ 170 per night in its brotherly hotel in Kuala Lumpur.

The Singapore Tourism Council is trying to change the perception that Singapore is expensive by emphasizing the amount of what the visitor can do in one day thanks to the public transport system in Singapore, a point made by the cross as well.

“We have worked with various influencers to offer how Singapore offers value for money, but also how travelers can increase their itinerary and time in our destination,” said a spokesman.

Japanese businessman Yoshiko Tano, who is often visited Singapore to catch up with friends, said that although hotels are expensive, eating abroad is cheap, thanks to the centers of street vendors where a meal and drink can be purchased less than $ 10 Singapore.

He said, “Hokien Mee is my favorite local food,” adding that he is also fond of walking Nature in many gardens in Singapore.

The city can also rely on support from frequent visitors such as Nazia Organization, who said that Singapore is still an ambitious destination for the Indians thanks to “Djoji Diku Singapore“An Indian song in the movie made in 1960.

She said that Tanzeem lived in Singapore for several years before moving to Bangalore, where education for her children is cheaper, but her husband continues to work in the city of the city.

“There are many people who want to visit Singapore at least once in their lives,” she said.