Visitors mask up, change plans amid the haze; some tour operators see dip in bookings

Air quality has improved in recent days, but Singapore had previously experienced a 19-day stretch of unhealthy air.

ST PHOTO: ARIFFIN JAMAR

BNB Diviyadhaarshini

Published Oct 24, 2026, 10:00 AM

Updated Oct 24, 2026, 10:00 AM

Singapore’s haze disrupted visitors’ plans, with some tourists wearing N95 masks, cutting outdoor time, or feeling unwell during their stay.

Travel firms reported fewer bookings and more cancellations, with some seeing drops of 30 to 80% and shifting activities indoors.

The Singapore Tourism Board said September arrivals were 1.23 million, down 2.2%, and urged visitors to check haze updates and health advice.

SINGAPORE – Tourists visiting Singapore in October hoping to see its iconic cityscape against blue skies were disappointed by the grey clouds and layer of haze.

Some made adjustments to their itinerary, trying to limit physical discomfort, while others pressed on, armed with N95 masks .

Among them was Taiwanese station manager Ted Zheng, 32, who had considered cancelling his first trip to Singapore but went ahead on Oct 22 after the air quality improved in recent days.

Zheng, who spoke to The Straits Times during his visit to the Merlion Park, said he will continue with his outdoor sightseeing plans around the central business district over his five-day visit but will wear a mask if necessary.

“It’s not perfect, but good enough,” he said.

The air quality has improved in recent days even as Singapore experienced a 19-day stretch of unhealthy air from Oct 5 to Oct 23.

Ukrainian Margaryta Ruchko, who was in town for cryptocurrency conference Token2049 on Oct 6 and 7, said she felt a little unwell then.

She did not have any masks on hand and her hotel did not provide them. “If I had known about the situation in advance, I would have prepared and brought appropriate face masks with me,” she said.

The 28-year-old marketing and lifestyle influencer said she and other conference attendees tried to reduce time outdoors, but some started feeling the effects upon arrival.

“Almost everyone in our group started coughing or experiencing a sore throat,” she said.

Margaryta added that her cough subsided only recently despite having left Singapore more than a week ago.

“I barely had the opportunity to explore Singapore because spending time outdoors became really uncomfortable… It was frustrating because I wanted to experience Singapore beyond the conference itself,” she said.

She hopes to visit again, but would check for reports of haze before doing so, she added.

Other visitors reported feeling warmer than usual while visiting Singapore.

Filipino tourist Daniela Cruz said while the haze did not affect her plans to watch the Formula 1 Singapore Airlines Singapore Grand Prix , she and her husband felt the weather was hotter than during their previous trip here in 2024.

Cruz, a 27-year-old bank associate, added that she and her husband missed seeing the usual cityscape against a clear sky during their stay from Oct 5 to 11.

Some tourists who arrived more recently were not aware of the haze. Mexican Jesus Martinez Gonzalez, who was on a solo trip around Asia, thought grey skies were a norm here.

The history teacher added: “I feel a little sick, but I’m only here for a short time so I have to keep going.”

Travel agencies here have heard concerns from tourists on the air quality, and some have seen an impact on bookings.

Eeling Koh, director for meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions at World Express travel agency, said the firm is working with customers and partners to provide support such as increasing indoor activities and encouraging them to stay hydrated and wear masks when necessary.

But the company has not experienced a significant drop in bookings during this period, she added.

For Six Stars Tours and Services, there has been a “noticeable decline in bookings to Singapore, as well as an increase in cancellations” since the air quality began to decline in September.

The agency gave the example of three cities from where it saw inbound bookings dropping by 30% to 80%. Cancellation rates across the three cities for upcoming bookings were 30% to 50%. It declined to name the three cities.

Tour operators that cater to tourists have seen similar dips.

Sherry Shen, director of business development at VTL Travel which runs Rediscover Singapore, observed an estimated 20% to 30% drop in ticket purchases since September. The firm, which operates tours around Singapore, also had only two tours a month in September and October, a drop from four to eight typically.

VTL Travel operates walking and cycling tours, as well as corporate tours that include outdoor activities like telematch games.

The agency has looked at moving some outdoor activities indoors, and has offered complimentary date changes for clients, said Shen.

She said it has also received cancellation requests for about 10% to 20% of its bookings, with 80% to 90% of customers enquiring about the haze conditions here and in nearby countries.

“We are seeing signs of recovery, with four tours already confirmed for November,” she said, adding that this may be partly attributed to the improving haze conditions.

In response to queries from ST, a Singapore Tourism Board spokesperson said the Republic received 1.23 million international visitors in September, a slight dip of 2.2% from the same month in 2025. Figures for October arrivals will be available in November.

“Visitor arrivals are influenced by a range of factors, including global economic uncertainties and higher fuel costs,” she added.

The spokesperson said some hotels here have adopted measures to safeguard guests’ well-being, including sharing haze- and heat-related advisories, enhancing air filtration, and making adjustments to the use of outdoor facilities where necessary, in line with prevailing conditions.

She added that visitors are encouraged to check the daily haze situation update, haze forecast and related health advisories and plan for activities.

Singapore Tourism Board

近几日空气质量有所改善，但新加坡此前曾连续19天空气质量不佳。

圣路易斯照片：阿里芬·贾马尔

BNB Diviyadhaarshini

发布于2026年10月24日上午10:00

更新于2026年10月24日上午10:00

新加坡的雾霾打乱了游客的计划，一些游客戴着 N95 口罩，减少了户外活动时间，或者在逗留期间感到身体不适。

旅游公司报告称，预订量减少，取消量增加，一些公司的预订量下降了 30% 到 80%，并将活动转移到室内。

新加坡旅游局表示，9 月份入境游客人数为 123 万人次，下降 2.2%，并敦促游客查看雾霾最新情况和健康建议。

新加坡——十月份到访新加坡的游客原本希望看到蓝天下标志性的城市景观，却因灰蒙蒙的云层和一层薄雾而感到失望。

有些人调整了行程安排，试图减少身体上的不适，而另一些人则戴着 N95 口罩继续前行。

其中包括 32 岁的台湾车站经理郑德（Ted Zheng），他原本考虑取消首次新加坡之行，但由于最近几天空气质量有所改善，他还是于 10 月 22 日启程前往。

郑先生在参观鱼尾狮公园期间接受《海峡时报》采访时表示，他将在为期五天的访问期间继续在中央商务区附近进行户外观光，但如有必要，他会戴上口罩。

“它并不完美，但已经足够好了，”他说。

尽管新加坡从 10 月 5 日至 10 月 23 日经历了 19 天的空气质量不佳期，但近几日空气质量有所改善。

乌克兰人玛格丽塔·鲁奇科 (Margaryta Ruchko) 于 10 月 6 日和 7 日来到该市参加加密货币会议 Token2049，她说当时她感觉有点不舒服。

她当时没有带口罩，酒店也没有提供。“如果我事先知道这种情况，我就会做好准备，带上合适的口罩了。”她说。

这位 28 岁的营销和生活方式博主表示，她和其他参会者试图减少户外活动时间，但有些人一到会场就开始感到不适。

她说：“我们组里几乎每个人都开始咳嗽或喉咙痛。”

玛格丽塔补充说，尽管她一周多前就离开了新加坡，但她的咳嗽直到最近才有所缓解。

“我几乎没有机会探索新加坡，因为在户外待着真的很难受……这很令人沮丧，因为我想在会议之外体验新加坡，”她说。

她补充说，她希望再次到访，但会事先查看是否有雾霾报告。

其他游客也反映，在新加坡旅游期间感觉比平时更热。

菲律宾游客丹妮拉·克鲁兹表示，虽然雾霾并没有影响她观看新加坡航空新加坡一级方程式大奖赛的计划，但她和丈夫感觉天气比他们2024年上次来这里旅行时要热。

27 岁的银行职员克鲁兹补充说，她和丈夫在 10 月 5 日至 11 日期间，很想念在晴朗的天空下看到的寻常城市景观。

一些近期抵达的游客并未注意到雾霾。独自在亚洲旅行的墨西哥人赫苏斯·马丁内斯·冈萨雷斯认为，阴天在这里是常态。

历史老师补充道：“我感觉有点不舒服，但我只在这里待很短的时间，所以我必须坚持下去。”

本地旅行社已经听到游客对空气质量的担忧，一些旅行社的预订量也受到了影响。

世界快运旅行社会议、奖励旅游、会展总监许宜玲表示，公司正在与客户和合作伙伴共同提供支持，例如增加室内活动，并鼓励他们多喝水，并在必要时佩戴口罩。

但她补充说，在此期间，公司预订量并未出现大幅下降。

自 9 月份空气质量开始下降以来，六星旅游服务公司表示，“前往新加坡的预订量明显下降，取消量也有所增加”。

该机构举例说明，有三个城市的入境预订量下降了30%至80%。这三个城市未来预订的取消率也达到了30%至50%。该机构拒绝透露这三个城市的名称。

服务于游客的旅行社也出现了类似的下滑。

VTL Travel（旗下运营“重返新加坡”旅游项目）的业务拓展总监Sherry Shen表示，自9月以来，机票销量估计下降了20%至30%。这家主要运营新加坡旅游线路的公司，9月和10月每月仅组织两团，而通常情况下每月会组织四到八团。

VTL Travel 提供步行和自行车旅游服务，以及包含户外活动（如橄榄球比赛）的企业旅游服务。

沈先生表示，该机构已考虑将一些户外活动转移到室内，并为客户提供了免费的日期更改服务。

她表示，该公司还收到了约 10% 至 20% 的预订取消请求，80% 至 90% 的客户询问了本地及周边国家的雾霾情况。

“我们看到了一些复苏的迹象，11 月份已经确认了四个旅游团，”她说道，并补充说这可能部分归功于雾霾情况的改善。

针对《海峡时报》的询问，新加坡旅游局发言人表示，新加坡9月份接待了123万国际游客，比2025年同期略微下降了2.2%。10月份的入境游客数据将于11月公布。

她补充说：“游客人数受多种因素影响，包括全球经济的不确定性和燃油成本上涨。”

发言人表示，本地一些酒店已采取措施保障客人的健康，包括发布雾霾和高温相关预警信息、加强空气过滤，并根据实际情况在必要时调整室外设施的使用。

她还补充说，建议游客查看每日雾霾情况更新、雾霾预报和相关健康建议，并据此安排活动。

新加坡旅游局