Singapore - The number of visitors to Singapore declined in June, the first drop in 51 months amid the weakening economic climate, tourism board data said on Saturday.

Last month's arrivals were down 4.1 per cent from a year earlier, a sharp drop that followed a slow 0.8 per cent growth in April and May.

A total of 5.1 million people visited the city-state in the first half of this year, spending an estimated 6.5 billion Singapore dollars (4.8 billion US dollars) during their stay.

"The recent economic slowdown and rising cost have brought about a general air of uncertainty, which has impacted consumer sentiment and discretionary spending in many tourism destinations," The Business Times quoted Singapore Tourism Board chief Lim Neo Chian as saying.

He noted the slowdown may potentially continue into the next few months.

Indonesia, China, India, Australia and Malaysia were the top five visitor-generating markets in that order, accounting for 51 per cent of arrivals.

Vietnam, Australia, China, India, South Korea and Germany showed the highest growth among the top 15 markets. The board cited their resilience in the face of the current slowdown and a strong exchange rate in the case of Australia.

The board is focusing its marketing efforts on China and India as well as such emerging markets as Russia and the United Arab Emirates. (dpa)