S'pore tourist arrivals rise

S'pore tourist arrivals rise

SINGAPORE (Dow Jones): Singapore's tourist arrivals in May
rose 6.5 percent to 595,101 from a year earlier, reflecting the
continuing economic recovery in Asia.

However, the number of visitor arrivals in May fell 6.5% from
April, dragged down by a decline in the number of holiday-makers
from Indonesia, the Singapore Tourism Board said Friday.

The number of visitors from Indonesia - the top visitor-
generating country - fell 25.2% to 91,826 from an all-time high
of 122,621 in May 1999.

Last year, Indonesia shifted its school holidays from June to
May to allow for general election. As a result, the number of
visitors to Singapore last May was unusually high. This year, the
holidays were moved back to June.

On the other hand, the number of visitors from South Korea
jumped 61.5% to 30,619. The growth was largely attributable to an
increase in the number of holiday-makers as opposed to business
travelers.