Tourism activity in Singapore is expected to recover to pre-pandemic levels by 2024, barring unexpected circumstances.

This comes after the Singapore Tourism Board unveiled on Tuesday (17 January) that the city-state's international visitor arrivals reached 6.3 million last year, exceeding its forecast of between 4 and 6 million visitors.

The figure is about one-third of the arrival figures for 2019 - the year before the COVID-19 pandemic struck. Meanwhile, tourism receipts are estimated to reach $13.8 billion to $14.3 billion for 2022, about 50 to 52 per cent of 2019 receipts.

“Our 2022 tourism performance underscores Singapore’s appeal as a leading business and leisure destination for post-pandemic travellers," STB chief executive Keith Tan said in its media release.

"To sustain our growth in 2023 and beyond, we will expand our partnerships, build up a rich year-round calendar of events, ramp up investment in new and refreshed products and experiences, and continue to support industry efforts to build the capabilities they need to meet consumer demands.”