TOURISM arrivals for last year were dismal, with the number of people visiting Singapore and the amount they spent falling from the previous year; although the tail-end of the year brought signs that things are set to improve.

The number of visitors to Singapore fell by 4.3 per cent last year to 9.7 million, figures not seen since 2006. The lower arrivals also drove the revenue from the sector down 19 per cent to $12.4 billion, the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) said yesterday.

But an upswing in the final quarter, buoyed by a strong December which saw arrivals hit an all-time high of 971,000, has renewed confidence in the industry.

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