Vietnam and Singapore: Tourism alliance for unforgettable experiences!

Vietnam and Singapore: Tourism alliance for unforgettable experiences!

The Vietnam-Singapore Tourism Cooperation Forum was held in Ho Chi Minh City on May 21, 2025, where Terrence Voon, Managing Director for Southeast Asia of the Singapore Tourism Board, highlighted the importance of Vietnam as a strategic market for Singapore tourism. Vietnam is attracting the interest of Singaporean travelers with its potential for quality tourism experiences and world-class services.

In 2024, Singapore is expected to receive a total of 16.5 million international visitors, including 393,184 from Vietnam. According to Voon, Vietnam is one of the 15 largest source markets for Singapore and shows great growth potential in the high-value segment. More than 110,000 Vietnamese tourists have already been welcomed to Singapore in the first four months of 2025, while the number of Singaporean tourists to Vietnam is expected to rise to over 347,000 by the end of 2024.

Expansion of marketing strategies

The Singapore Tourism Board plans to increase cooperation with airlines and travel agencies to target Vietnamese. Serene Ng, STB’s Area Director for Vietnam, highlighted Vietnam’s position as a key market in Southeast Asia. When it comes to attractiveness for Vietnamese visitors, the 30-day visa exemption in Singapore is highlighted as a particular highlight.

Changi Airport is considered one of the best connected airports in Asia, with 137 weekly flights to Singapore from cities such as Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, Da Nang and Phu Quoc. Official information on tourism in Singapore should be continuously updated to provide high-quality marketing content.

Promoting MICE tourism

On the sidelines of the forum, Singapore's participation in the IMEX trade fair in Frankfurt from May 20 to 22, 2025 to promote Vietnam in MICE tourism (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions) was also announced. Singapore wants to further increase the number of international visitors through new tourism offerings. In 2023, Vietnam was already among the top 10 markets for Singapore with more than 458,000 visitors.

The reopening of the borders for the first time in 2022 has brought Singapore a significant recovery in tourism. In 2023, the city welcomed over 13.6 million international tourists. For 2024, the STB expects the total number of international visitors to be between 15 and 16.5 million, with tourism revenue increasing to an estimated SGD 27.5 billion to SGD 29 billion (around USD 20.3 billion).

Additionally, Singapore is planning numerous leisure and MICE events to diversify its travel offerings and increase its appeal to international tourists. The planned events include internationally known pop culture and lifestyle events as well as music festivals. The “Made in Singapore” campaign, launched in September 2023, specifically focuses on targeting Vietnamese visitors and introducing them to the diverse experiences of Singapore.

Throughout the year, Singapore will host multi-day events including the spectacular Christmas Wonderland at Gardens by the Bay and the Marina Bay Singapore Countdown, offering visitors a variety of entertainment options, especially during the holiday season.