Marketing Guide to Attract Chinese Tourists to Singapore

Singapore is one of the most visited destinations for wealthy Chinese travelers. It is close, safe, familiar and packed with things to buy, eat and experience. For hotels, tour operators and travel agencies targeting this segment, Singapore is one of the most rewarding markets to enter. But you need the right approach to reach Chinese tourists before they land.

Why Chinese Tourists Love Singapore

Singapore had 16.4 million international visitors in 2019. Chinese tourists were the biggest spenders in the market that year, with $3.5 billion in total spending, mostly on shopping. About 2.86 million Chinese tourists visited Singapore annually before Covid, making China the second largest visitor market after Indonesia.

The appeal is easy to understand. Singapore is one of the world’s safest cities. It has excellent transport, clean streets, world-class food and a population that is over 70% ethnic Chinese. Mandarin is an official language. For a Chinese traveler it feels familiar but also international. You can eat dim sum for breakfast, visit a world-class museum in the afternoon, and shop duty-free at Changi Airport on the way home.

According to the China National Tourism Administration, Singapore ranked in the top 5 Asian destinations for Chinese outbound travelers in both 2024 and 2025, with numbers recovering strongly after the pandemic dip.

The Ultra-Wealthy Chinese Are Relocating Here

Something interesting started happening in 2022-2023. Wealthy Chinese individuals, not just tourists, began moving to Singapore. Tax pressure, political uncertainty and three years of zero-Covid policy pushed many high-net-worth Chinese to look for a stable base outside mainland China. Singapore became the obvious answer.

Luxury condos on Sentosa Island saw a wave of Chinese buyers. Private golf club memberships at places like Sentosa Golf Club (where foreign memberships cost over 600,000 SGD per year) filled up fast. This segment shops at the top end: Rolls Royces, Bentleys, private dining, luxury travel. For businesses in this space Singapore is a priority market right now.

What Philip Chen Says About Marketing to Chinese Tourists in Singapore

“Singapore is unique because the Chinese community there creates a natural bridge for mainland Chinese visitors. They feel at home. But that also means competition is fierce. Every hotel, mall and tour operator is fighting for the same Chinese tourist. The brands that win are the ones with strong Baidu visibility, active WeChat content, and RED influencer presence. If a Chinese woman sees your Singapore hotel on RED with good reviews and nice photos, she will book it. If she can’t find you she will book the Marriott.”

Philip Chen, digital marketing expert

Case Study: A Singapore Tour Operator That Cracked the Chinese Market

Priya Nair had been running a boutique tour company in Singapore for six years. She specialized in food and cultural experiences: hawker center tours, Peranakan cooking classes, night cycling through the colonial district. Her reviews were excellent. Her problem was that almost all her clients came from Australia and the UK.

In mid-2024 Priya decided to change that. Her target was clear: mainland Chinese tourists aged 28-45, traveling as couples or small families. She hired a Chinese digital marketing agency and allocated a monthly budget of 4,500 SGD for the first six months.

The agency started with basics. A Mandarin landing page on her website. Registration on Ctrip with Chinese photos and descriptions. A WeChat Official Account with weekly posts about upcoming tours and Singapore food culture.

Then came the RED campaign. Three Chinese KOCs (Key Opinion Consumers, smaller but more trusted than big KOLs) each posted detailed review articles on Xiaohongshu about their experience on Priya’s food tour. Photos of every dish. Honest descriptions of the experience. Links to her WeChat for booking.

Within two months of the RED posts going live, Priya’s WeChat account gained 1,200 followers. She received 89 booking requests in October 2024 alone. Average group size was three people, average booking value was 480 SGD per group. By end of 2024 Chinese tourists made up 28% of her total revenue, up from 3% before the campaign.

“The RED platform surprised me most” Priya told us. “I expected big video campaigns to work. Instead it was honest reviews from real Chinese travelers that drove most bookings. Authenticity beats advertising every time with this audience.”

The Key Platforms to Reach Chinese Tourists Heading to Singapore

Chinese tourists planning a Singapore trip will use specific platforms. You need to be on them. For more detail on how Chinese tourists use social media to plan trips, see our Chinese tourist social media guide.

• Ctrip (Trip.com): the main booking platform for Chinese travelers. List your hotel, tour or experience here with Mandarin descriptions and real photos.
• Mafengwo: China’s top travel review site. Encourage Chinese guests to post reviews. Positive content here builds credibility fast.
• RED (Xiaohongshu): ideal for hotels, restaurants and experiences targeting affluent Chinese women. Beautiful photos and honest reviews work best.
• WeChat: for direct communication, promotions and building a loyal audience around your brand in China.
• Baidu: for search visibility when Chinese users type “Singapore hotel” or “Singapore tour” in Chinese.

According to travel data from Mafengwo, Singapore food tours and cultural experiences saw a 65% increase in user-generated content from Chinese travelers in 2025, showing strong appetite for non-shopping experiences among this group.

Quick Reference: Marketing to Chinese Tourists in Singapore

Channel	Best For	Investment Level
Baidu SEO	Long-term visibility, search traffic	Medium
WeChat Official Account	Audience building, direct booking	Low to medium
RED influencer posts	Trust, luxury and lifestyle audiences	Medium
Douyin campaigns	Reach, viral potential	Medium to high
Ctrip listing	Direct booking conversions	Low (commission-based)

How GMA Can Help You Attract Chinese Tourists to Singapore

Our team at GMA has worked with Singapore hotels, tour operators and shopping destinations since 2012. We know what works for Chinese tourists in this market and what doesn’t. Here is what we offer:

• Douyin (TikTok China) campaigns with Singapore-based or visiting Chinese KOLs
• WeChat Official Account management with regular content and follower engagement
• Baidu SEO and PPC to capture Chinese search traffic for Singapore tourism keywords
• RED (Xiaohongshu) influencer marketing through trusted KOCs and KOLs
• Chinese website design and localization with fast loading in China
• KOL and KOC partnerships matched to your brand, budget and audience segment

About GMA

GMA (Gentlemen Marketing Agency) is a Chinese digital marketing agency based in Shanghai, operating since 2012. We work with tourism brands, hotels, real estate companies and luxury businesses that want to attract Chinese clients. Our services cover Douyin, WeChat, Baidu, RED and Chinese website design. We have helped hundreds of international brands build real visibility in China. See all our services at chinesetouristagency.com/our-services.

Written by Claire, Chinese tourism marketing specialist at GMA. March 2026.