Singapore hotel rates soar as F1, MICE events drive tourism demand

Some hotel rooms are going for more than seven times their usual rates, amid a packed calendar of over 40 business conferences and gatherings around the Formula 1 period.

Formula One drivers in action during the Singapore Grand Prix at the Marina Bay Street Circuit on Oct 5, 2025. (Photo: Reuters/Athit Perawongmetha)

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SINGAPORE: Hotel rates have surged as Singapore heads into one of its busiest periods of the year, with the Formula 1 Singapore Grand Prix coinciding with a packed calendar of business events.

Checks by CNA found some rooms going for more than seven times their usual price.

Booking platform Trip.com said hotel reservations in Singapore from Friday to Sunday (Oct 9 to 11) – when the Grand Prix will be held – grew by more than 80 per cent compared with the same period last year.

Back-to-back race weekends in the region are also prompting some fans to extend their trips, the platform added.

The Sepang International Circuit in Malaysia hosted the Bahrain Grand Prix from Oct 2 to 4, a week before the Singapore Grand Prix.

More than 40 meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions (MICE) events are also clustered around the F1 period this year, according to the Singapore Tourism Board (STB), up from about 25 to 30 in each of the previous two years.

They include crypto conference TOKEN2049, the Global-Asia Family Office Summit and Milken Institute Asia Summit , bringing business leaders and investors to Singapore alongside international motorsport fans.

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F1, BUSINESS EVENTS DRIVE HOTEL DEMAND

At Carlton Hotel Singapore on Bras Basah Road, occupancy was running at between 95 and 98 per cent from Tuesday through Sunday, compared with about 82 to 85 per cent during a typical October week.

General manager Niall Cowan said the hotel had filled up earlier this October than in previous years, as business events brought guests in ahead of the race weekend.

"For us, of course it means full rooms, but not only our rooms - our restaurants, bars, banqueting spaces are all very busy," he said.

STB executive director for exhibitions and conferences Poh Chi Chuan said the calendar of events creates a "gravitational pull" when the city is busy and the target audience is already flying in.

"So planners are building on that momentum," he said.

Some organisers are scheduling their events to coincide with the influx of business leaders.

DBS, for example, will hold its Asia Future Forward Conference on Oct 12, a day after the Grand Prix.

Managing director and group head of DBS Group Research Timothy Wong said the timing is deliberate.

"We actually wanted to take advantage of the fact that there would be key people coming into town," he said.

Visitors at the Marina Bay Sands Expo and Convention Centre in Singapore. (Image: CNA)

Mr Poh added that some organisers are incorporating activities around the Grand Prix into their programmes, including networking and social events.

STB is also working with event planners to give MICE visitors opportunities to experience attractions and other events while they are in Singapore.

"We hope that they can stay, spend, and also extend their trip, and really experience Singapore and have that genuine connection to the city," Mr Poh said.

MICE tourism receipts reached S$2.3 billion (US$1.8 billion) in 2025. STB is targeting S$4.5 billion in receipts from the sector by 2040.

Haze conditions around the Upper Cross Street area overlooking the Esplanade and Singapore Flyer on Oct 7, 2026. (Photo: CNA/Raydza Rahman)

HAZE COULD CHANGE VISITOR BEHAVIOUR

But one potential dampener on the busy period is the haze .

Singapore's 24-hour Pollutant Standards Index has crossed into the unhealthy range multiple times this week.

Professor Abhishek Bhati, pro vice-chancellor and professor in tourism at the University of Newcastle in Singapore, said the most significant impact could be a change in visitor behaviour.

"People may spend more time indoors, more in terms of shopping malls, museums, restaurants, rather than being out and about," he said.

"Some of the outdoor sightseeing and, of course, the waterfront activity – and as you appreciate the F1 circuit is around (Marina Bay), that will see a reduced patronage certainly."

A view of the Marina Bay Street Circuit on Oct 5, 2025. (Photo: Reuters/Jeremy Lee)

The haze could also affect one of the Singapore Grand Prix's most recognisable features – views of the city skyline during the night race.

Prof Bhati said reduced visibility could affect views from drones and helicopters, as well as how the cityscape appears to television audiences.

While visitor spending could shift from outdoor activities to enclosed ones, the economic value would not necessarily be lost, he said.

“When it comes to international tourists and visitors, they would have planned their trips several months ago, if not weeks,” Prof Bhati noted.

“Haze or not, unless it's a very difficult situation, they will continue to come and enjoy the F1 race here in Singapore.”

BENEFITS BEYOND HOTELS

Hotels are not the only businesses benefiting from the influx of visitors.

Asia travel and tourism analyst Gary Bowerman said visitors attending such events spend on food and beverage, museums, tours and attractions.

Speaking on CNA's Singapore Tonight, he said major events, many of which are booked four or five years in advance, also help hotels plan ahead.

The uplift from the current cluster would be concentrated over a relatively short period, however. Mr Bowerman said activity typically eases in November before picking up again in December.

File photo: Tourists taking pictures with the iconic Merlion statue in Singapore. (Photo: AFP/Roslan Rahman)

The concentration of global business leaders could also have longer-term effects beyond tourism.

DBS' Mr Wong said major events give business leaders with existing operations in Singapore another reason to visit, while those without a presence could consider establishing one.

"For those that don't have anything set up, they may think about setting something up in this region, or in Singapore to really anchor the region.

"So then it could lead to someone setting up an office or family office . And so it creates that very positive effect."

COMPETING FOR MICE EVENTS

Singapore also faces competition from other destinations seeking a share of the high-value business events market.

Mr Bowerman identified Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur and Hanoi, as well as Bali and Phu Quoc, among destinations vying for MICE events as the sector grows in Asia.

STB's Mr Poh said Singapore's value proposition includes its creativity, innovation, stability, safety and accessibility, but the country also needs to keep refreshing its attractions and experiences to remain competitive.

The tourism board is exploring whether the clustering seen around F1 can be replicated around other major events.

Mr Poh described F1 as a "very successful case study".

"We are trying to look at other examples in different parts of the calendar to see how we can continue to amp up our attractiveness," he said.

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由于一级方程式赛车期间有超过 40 场商务会议和聚会，一些酒店房间的价格已经超过了平时的七倍。

2025年10月5日，一级方程式赛车手在新加坡滨海湾街道赛道参加新加坡大奖赛。（图片：路透社/Athit Perawongmetha）

这段音频由人工智能工具生成。

新加坡：随着新加坡进入一年中最繁忙的时期之一，酒店价格飙升，一级方程式新加坡大奖赛恰逢一系列密集的商务活动。

CNA 的调查发现，一些房间的售价是正常价格的七倍多。

旅行预订平台 Trip.com 表示，从周五到周日（10 月 9 日至 11 日）——也就是大奖赛举办期间——新加坡的酒店预订量比去年同期增长了 80% 以上。

该平台还补充说，该地区连续两个周末的比赛也促使一些车迷延长了他们的行程。

马来西亚雪邦国际赛道于 10 月 2 日至 4 日举办了巴林大奖赛，比新加坡大奖赛早一周。

据新加坡旅游局 (STB) 称，今年 F1 赛事期间还将举办 40 多场会议、奖励旅游、大会和展览 (MICE) 活动，而前两年每年大约只有 25 到 30 场。

其中包括加密货币会议 TOKEN2049、全球亚洲家族办公室峰会和米尔肯研究院亚洲峰会，将商业领袖、投资者以及国际赛车运动爱好者聚集到新加坡。

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F1赛事和商务活动带动酒店需求

新加坡百胜路卡尔顿酒店周二至周日的入住率在 95% 至 98% 之间，而 10 月份通常的入住率约为 82% 至 85%。

总经理尼尔·考恩表示，由于商务活动在比赛周末前吸引了客人，今年 10 月份酒店的入住率比往年更高。

“对我们来说，这当然意味着客房爆满，但不仅仅是客房——我们的餐厅、酒吧、宴会厅也都非常繁忙，”他说。

新加坡旅游局展览及会议执行总监 Poh Chi Chuan 表示，当城市繁忙且目标受众已经乘飞机抵达时，活动日程会产生“引力”。

“所以规划者们正在乘势而上，”他说。

一些组织者正安排活动时间，以配合商界领袖的涌入。

例如，星展银行将于 10 月 12 日，也就是大奖赛的第二天，举办亚洲未来展望大会。

星展集团研究部董事总经理兼主管黄添明表示，选择这个时间点是经过深思熟虑的。

他说：“我们其实是想利用这个重要人物进城的机会。”

新加坡滨海湾金沙会展中心的游客。（图片：CNA）

Poh 先生补充说，一些组织者正在将与大奖赛相关的活动纳入他们的计划中，包括社交活动和联谊活动。

新加坡旅游局也正与活动策划者合作，为会展游客提供在新加坡期间体验景点和其他活动的机会。

“我们希望他们能够留下来，消费，甚至延长行程，真正体验新加坡，并与这座城市建立真正的联系，” Poh 先生说。

2025年，新加坡会展旅游收入达到23亿新元（18亿美元）。新加坡旅游局的目标是到2040年，该行业的收入达到45亿新元。

2026年10月7日，俯瞰滨海艺术中心和新加坡摩天观景轮的上十字街一带笼罩在薄雾之中。（图片：CNA/Raydza Rahman）

雾霾可能会改变游客行为

但雾霾可能会对繁忙时期造成不利影响。

本周新加坡24小时污染物标准指数多次进入不健康范围。

新加坡纽卡斯尔大学副校长兼旅游学教授阿比舍克·巴蒂表示，最显著的影响可能是游客行为的改变。

他说：“人们可能会花更多时间待在室内，比如去购物中心、博物馆、餐馆，而不是外出走动。”

“一些户外观光活动，当然还有海滨活动——而且您也知道F1赛道就在（滨海湾）附近——肯定会受到客流量减少的影响。”

2025年10月5日，滨海湾街赛道一景。（图片：路透社/Jeremy Lee）

雾霾也可能影响新加坡大奖赛最显著的特色之一——夜间比赛期间的城市天际线景观。

巴蒂教授表示，能见度降低可能会影响无人机和直升机的视野，以及电视观众看到的城市景观。

他表示，虽然游客的消费可能会从户外活动转向室内活动，但经济价值不一定会损失。

巴蒂教授指出：“对于国际游客来说，他们的旅行计划往往早在几个月前，甚至几周前就已经制定好了。”

“无论有没有雾霾，除非情况非常困难，否则他们都会继续来新加坡观看F1比赛。”

酒店之外的益处

酒店并不是唯一受益于游客涌入的行业。

亚洲旅游业分析师加里·鲍尔曼表示，参加此类活动的游客会在餐饮、博物馆、旅游和景点上消费。

他在接受亚洲新闻台（CNA）新加坡晚间节目采访时表示，许多大型活动提前四五年就被预订，这也有助于酒店提前做好规划。

不过，当前这波经济集群带来的增长将集中在相对较短的时间内。鲍尔曼先生表示，经济活动通常会在11月有所放缓，然后在12月再次回升。

资料照片：游客在新加坡与标志性的鱼尾狮雕像合影。（图片：法新社/罗斯兰·拉赫曼）

全球商业领袖的聚集也可能对旅游业以外的领域产生更长远的影响。

星展银行的黄先生表示，重大活动为在新加坡已有业务的企业领导人提供了另一个访问新加坡的理由，而那些尚未在新加坡开展业务的企业领导人则可以考虑设立分支机构。

“对于那些还没有建立任何组织的人来说，他们可能会考虑在这个地区，或者在新加坡建立一些组织，以真正巩固该地区的地位。”

“这样一来，就可能有人会设立办公室或家族办公室。因此，它会产生非常积极的影响。”

争夺小鼠赛事

新加坡还面临着来自其他目的地争夺高价值商务活动市场份额的竞争。

鲍尔曼先生指出，随着亚洲会展行业的增长，曼谷、吉隆坡、河内以及巴厘岛和富国岛等地都在争夺会展活动市场。

新加坡旅游局的 Poh 先生表示，新加坡的价值主张包括其创造力、创新性、稳定性、安全性和便利性，但该国也需要不断更新其景点和体验，以保持竞争力。

旅游局正在探索F1赛事周边出现的旅游聚集现象是否可以复制到其他重大赛事中。

Poh 先生将 F1 描述为“一个非常成功的案例研究”。

他说：“我们正在尝试研究日历上其他不同时段的例子，看看我们如何才能继续提高我们的吸引力。”

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