SUPERSTAR songstress Lady Gaga’s show in Singapore next month is being tied to the city state’s continuing success in attracting tourists and business event delegates, including an expected 26,000 for Herbalife Extravaganza 2026 – set to be the biggest MICE event Singapore has hosted.
The annual Tourism Industry Conference (TIC) organised by Singapore Tourism Board (STB) heard of mega events such as concerts by Gaga, Coldplay and Taylor Swift placed alongside the F1 Grand Prix, new visitor attractions and the city’s hosting of MICE events.
Grace Fu, Minister for Sustainability and the Environment and Minister-in-charge of Trade Relations, told the event in her keynote speech: “We are thrilled to welcome Lady Gaga, who will make her only stop in Asia next month.
More… Singapore’s ’Best MICE City’ efforts gather pace
Tourism stakeholders and related businesses gathered at TIC to discuss the future of Singapore’s tourism sector. This year’s theme, “Empowering the Next Bound of Tourism Growth,” focused on identifying key opportunities to drive the next phase of development.
Minister Fu highlighted the performance of Singapore’s MICE sector, which saw over 30,000 delegates attending events such as Asia Tech x Singapore and the Rotary International Convention.
“A proud moment for us was achieving our best-ever position on the International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA) Worldwide City Rankings, where Singapore secured second place globally,” Fu said.
Singapore welcomed a series of blockbuster entertainment acts including Taylor Swift, Ed Sheeran, and Bruno Mars, which brought their global fandom to Singapore.”
– Melissa Ow, CEO, Singapore Tourism Board
The minister also shared STB’s ambitious roadmap, Tourism 2040 (T2040), aimed at growing and future-proofing the visitor economy. The vision includes achieving S$50 billion (about US$38.2bn) in tourism receipts by 2040.
Fu said 2024 was a landmark year for Singapore’s tourism sector, with international visitor arrivals growing by 21 per cent from the previous year to 16.5 million, and tourism receipts reaching a record high of $29.8 billion.
Mainland China, Indonesia, and Australia were the top tourism receipt markets, with mainland China and Japan seeing exceptional year-on-year growth at 48 per cent and 26 per cent, respectively.
More… Singapore doubles down on MICE sustainability
Also speaking at the conference, STB chief executive Melissa Ow said: “MICE visitors are high spenders and will be a key driver of quality growth. Anchoring key MICE events and activities will further deepen our connection to priority industries and enable us to grow our economic heft by convening influential actors and thought leaders in Singapore, thereby amplifying our status as the World’s Best MICE City.
A series of immersive showcases, such as the Harry Potter: Visions of Magic experience, The World of Studio Ghibli exhibition, and The Eras Tour by Taylor Swift, helped strengthen Singapore’s tourism performance.
The conference was told that flagship events, including the HSBC Women’s World Championship and Formula 1 Singapore Grand Prix, continued to serve as cornerstones of the tourism calendar. The F1 night race has brought in more than 720,000 international visitors and $2.2 billion in tourism receipts.
Singapore’s tourism landscape is set to benefit from a pipeline of events and developments, the conference heard, including the expansion of Marina Bay Sands, the launch of Disney Cruise Line’s Disney Adventure, and the NBA Rising Stars Invitational.
Also on the Way:
– LSI Asia 2025, the med tech conference’s first edition in Asia;
– ICMF International Insurance Culture Festival and the inaugural World Sleep Congress 2025;
– Herbalife Asia Pacific Extravaganza 2026
– World Robot Olympiad International Finals
– SEMICON Southeast Asia
Ow said the city’s MICE industry has strengthened Singapore’s place on the global events map. The World Economic Forum’s Young Global Leaders 20th Annual Summit and the world’s first SuperAI 2024 conference were two examples. Additionally, the World Robot Olympiad International Finals will return to Singapore after two decades, spotlighting robotics on the global stage with 7,000 delegates expected. The semiconductor industry will also convene in Singapore for the 30th edition of SEMICON Southeast Asia, with over 18,000 delegates expected.
To sustain this momentum, STB has signed a partnership with the Singapore Business Federation and the Singapore Association of Convention & Exhibition Organisers & Suppliers (SACEOS) to introduce a new Business Events Inspired pilot programme. Ow said this would “catalyse and grow our pipeline of MICE events” through mentorships, events consultancy services, and seed funding to business event organisers.
Singapore’s visitor portfolio will also be diversified by identifying new opportunities from emerging markets such as Saudi Arabia and Kazakhstan.
Main picture: Lady Gaga is to perform the only Asia concert of her world tour in Singapore
