Singapore reported its first decline in visitor arrivals since the global financial crisis, as a new Chinese law curbed tourists from the mainland while political turmoil in Thailand and aviation disasters damped travel, Bloomberg reported. Visitors to the tropical island nation fell 3.1% to 15.1m in 2014, the first drop since 2009, the Singapore Tourism Board said. Tourism receipts totaled S$23.5b ($17b), unchanged from the previous year. Weakening tourism adds to risks for Singapore, which unexpectedly eased monetary policy last month as growth slowed amid a faltering global economy.
