Spore expects more tourists

Spore expects more tourists

SINGAPORE (Reuter): Singapore's 1994 tourist arrivals are expected to grow by a revised five to seven percent from 6.42 million in 1993, a Singapore minister said yesterday.

The previous estimate had been for a 4-6 percent increase. The revision, made by the Singapore Tourist Promotion Board (STPB), reflected record arrivals in August, said Goh Chee Wee, Minister of State for Trade and Industry.

A record 664,393 visitors arrived in August, bringing the total number from January to August to 4.59 million, up 7.9 percent from the same 1993 period, he said at a topping-off ceremony for the Ritz-Carlton, one of Singapore's newest hotels.

Goh said that by 1995, tourist arrivals would surpass the seven-million mark.

He also said the longer-term outlook for the local tourism industry was proving attractive to investors.

Quoting the latest STPB survey, he said the number of hotels would increase to 107 in 1999 from 74 currently. Hotel rooms will rise to 34,763 from 25,299 in the same period.