Singapore, Changi Airport, Marina Bay and the city-state’s major visitor districts are operating within a tourism economy that welcomed a record 16.9 million international visitors in 2025. Behind the airport terminals, hotels, restaurants, attractions, construction sites and transport networks is a foreign workforce that reached 1,635,700 people in December 2025, according to Singapore’s Ministry of Manpower.
The workforce figure represented a substantial part of Singapore’s total employment, although foreign employment is not equivalent to tourism employment. The data instead shows the scale of the wider labour pool supporting an economy that has to accommodate millions of international visitors alongside residents and businesses.
Singapore’s tourism performance also included record tourism receipts of S$32.8 billion in 2025, according to the Singapore Tourism Board, placing visitor spending alongside arrivals as another major measure of the sector’s scale.
A Visitor Economy Built Around Infrastructure
For a traveller, Singapore’s tourism experience begins before reaching an attraction. Changi Airport handles international arrivals, airport transfers move passengers towards the city, hotels provide accommodation and restaurants serve visitors throughout their stay.
The city’s public transport system then connects major visitor districts including Marina Bay, Orchard Road, Sentosa, Chinatown and Little India.
Maintaining this network requires workers across multiple industries. Singapore’s foreign workforce data covers Employment Pass holders, S Pass holders, Work Permit holders and other categories, with the largest group being Work Permit holders. The total reached 1,635,700 in December 2025, up from 1,576,500 a year earlier.
Hotels and Restaurants Depend on a Broad Labour Network
Accommodation and dining are central components of Singapore’s tourism economy. Visitors arriving for leisure, business, conferences or events require hotels, restaurants, cafés, catering services and other hospitality facilities.
The Singapore Tourism Board identifies hotels, integrated resorts, attractions, MICE, cruise, travel agencies and tourist guiding among the tourism sector’s core industries, which together employ more than 76,000 workers.
That tourism-specific figure is considerably smaller than Singapore’s overall foreign workforce, demonstrating why the two datasets should not be treated as interchangeable. Foreign workers are distributed across the wider economy, while tourism represents one part of the employment landscape.
Construction Supports the Visitor Infrastructure
Construction is another area where the foreign workforce has a significant presence. Singapore’s Ministry of Manpower reported that non-resident employment growth during 2025 was driven largely by Work Permit holders in construction.
For tourism, construction contributes to the physical environment in which visitors travel. Hotels, attractions, transport facilities, commercial developments and public infrastructure require construction and maintenance over time.
This creates an indirect connection between workforce statistics and tourism capacity. A growing visitor economy requires not only people working directly with tourists but also infrastructure capable of accommodating changing demand.
Changi Airport Connects Singapore With Global Markets
Changi Airport remains a central gateway for Singapore’s international tourism market. The country welcomed 16.9 million international visitors in 2025, with Mainland China, Indonesia, Malaysia, Australia and India forming the five largest source markets.
The scale of these arrivals requires a broad ecosystem covering airport operations, aviation services, baggage handling, ground transport, accommodation and visitor activities.
For travellers, the process is largely seamless at the point of use. Behind each stage, however, are workers operating different parts of the visitor journey.
Singapore’s Attractions Require Continuous Services
Marina Bay, Sentosa, Orchard Road, Gardens by the Bay, the Singapore River, Chinatown and Little India attract visitors throughout the year. Each destination relies on services ranging from cleaning and maintenance to food, retail, security, transport and hospitality.
Major events and business conferences can increase demand further. Singapore’s MICE sector forms part of the tourism industry alongside hotels, attractions and cruise activity, creating visitor flows that extend beyond conventional holiday travel.
The city therefore needs a workforce capable of supporting both predictable daily demand and periods of concentrated international arrivals.
Foreign Workforce Data Shows the Scale of the Wider Economy
Singapore’s foreign workforce increased from 1,231,500 in December 2020 to 1,635,700 in December 2025. The latest figure includes 203,300 Employment Pass holders, 178,900 S Pass holders, 1,222,700 Work Permit holders and 30,800 people in other work-pass categories.
Work Permit holders accounted for the largest portion of the foreign workforce. The category includes migrant domestic workers and workers in sectors such as construction, marine shipyard and process industries.
These figures demonstrate the breadth of Singapore’s foreign workforce without establishing that all foreign workers are connected directly to tourism.
Tourism Growth Creates Continuing Workforce Demand
Singapore’s tourism sector is continuing to develop under the Tourism 2040 roadmap, which targets S$47 billion to S$50 billion in tourism receipts by 2040. The 2025 performance of S$32.8 billion in receipts and 16.9 million visitor arrivals provides the current baseline for that longer-term strategy.
For travellers, future tourism development can mean additional hotels, attractions, events, transport services and visitor experiences.
For the wider economy, it also means maintaining the infrastructure and workforce needed to operate those services at international scale.
The People Behind Singapore’s Tourism Machine
Singapore’s tourism success is visible through its airport, hotels, attractions, restaurants and efficient transport connections. The labour data adds another dimension to that picture.
The 1.64 million-strong foreign workforce forms part of the wider economic system that keeps Singapore operating, while more than 76,000 workers are employed across the tourism sector’s core industries.
As Singapore continues attracting millions of international visitors, the country’s tourism story therefore extends beyond arrivals and attractions. It also encompasses the people, infrastructure and services that allow a compact city-state to accommodate a large and continually moving global visitor population.
