Repeat visitors to Singapore spend about four times more than first-time visitors, according to Visa data, and the payments giant is teaming up with the Singapore Tourism Board to get more travellers to come back.
Visa and the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) have signed a three-year Memorandum of Understanding to strengthen Singapore’s appeal as a travel destination. As part of the deal, Singapore will join Visa Destinations, a global travel programme, starting in November 2026 — the second market in Asia Pacific after Thailand, alongside cities including London, New York and Paris.
Three areas of focus
The partnership centres on three pillars: giving Visa cardholders benefits at Singapore’s attractions, dining spots, shops and night-time venues, building on existing tie-ups with Pelago by Singapore Airlines and Grab; combining Visa’s spending data with STB’s visitor arrival data to identify which markets and traveller segments offer the most growth potential; and running co-branded marketing campaigns under Visa Destinations and STB’s Passion Made Possible brand.
Visa’s data shows some of the largest inbound travel corridors to Singapore come from Australia, Indonesia, Mainland China, Malaysia and the United States. The company also found that spending on restaurants and entertainment rose by two-thirds during the week of the Singapore Grand Prix in 2026, with evening spend between 11pm and 5am nearly doubling compared with a 52-week benchmark average.
“Singapore is already a world-class destination with strong global appeal. Our partnership with the Singapore Tourism Board is about converting that appeal into deeper engagement, bringing together STB’s destination expertise with Visa’s global network, travel insights and partnerships to inspire more international travellers to visit and return,” said Adeline Kim, Group Country Manager, Regional Southeast Asia, and SVP, Global Clients, Asia Pacific, at Visa.
Melissa Ow, Chief Executive of STB, said the partnership would help create more opportunities for tourism businesses and advance the board’s Tourism 2040 priorities.
