Sport Tourism, Sport Recreation, and Sustainable Development in Singapore

The city-state, with its 719 km2 and 5.6 million inhabitants, has become a major global player. Tourism plays a key role in strengthening Singapore as a dynamic global city attracting capital, business, and talent. Singapore’s tourism industry has been a major contributor to the country’s economic growth, with 19.12 million international travelers and revenues of $27.69 billion in 2019. And while COVID-19 has had a heavy impact on tourism, the tourism sector has shown great resilience and adaptability throughout this period. Singapore understood early on that in a globally interconnected world and in the face of relentless economic competition, it must find innovative and effective ways to continue to grow and retain its position as a “leading economy.” Sports tourism is one of the elements of the city-state’s ongoing reinvention. It positions Singapore as a dynamic global city and center to attract international visitors, increases tourism revenues, and gives its residents the platforms to live better through sport. It is in the “Green City” environment that sports tourism and sports recreation are expressed in Singapore in osmosis with the sustainable development policy that the country has made a privileged target.