Singapore to be flooded with budget Indian travellers in 2015 as Tigerair launches it's Rs10 (approx 20 cents) special fares in India

Travel Biz Monitor, 6 Oct 2014
Singapore-based budget carrier Tigerair has re-introduced its special one-way fare of Rs 10 to Singapore exclusively for Indian passengers, stated a release. The offer, which was launched to celebrate Tigerair’s 10 years of operation in Asia Pacific, has received tremendous response and to celebrate the success and the festival season, the airline has re-introduced it on popular demand. The fare is applicable only on round trips for tickets originating from India.
Passengers can book the tickets from today till October 12, for travel period commencing of January 12 to March 31 and July 21 to September 22 next year. Passengers can avail this on the airline’s official website-www.tigerair.com for travel to Singapore and beyond from any of the five Indian cities of Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kochi and Tiruchirappalli. Full story

Despite anti-gay laws in Singapore, the country remains open to LGBT tourists

Dot429.com
Legally, Singapore is not friendly to the LGBT community; in practice, however, it’s a different story.
In an interview with the BBC, the Chief Executive of the Singapore Tourism Board, Lionel Yeo, was asked by Fast Track host Rajan Datar if they welcome gay visitors to Singapore; he responded without hesitation, “We do. We do not discriminate against any type of visitors.”
In response to a question about the seeming contradiction between welcoming LGBT people and the anti-gay “gross indecency” law, Yeo said, “The government’s position on that has been…that they would like to leave it on the books for the time being, and at the same time it’s not being actively enforced.” Full story

Singapore is eyeing more Qatari tourists

Zawya.com, 22 Aug 2013
Singapore is planning to attract more Qatari tourists and enhance cultural ties as both countries will celebrate 30 years of diplomatic relations next year.
Singapore has witnessed a considerable rise in the number of visitors from Qatar, and is planning to attract more, according to a diplomat.
"There is an increase in the number of people travelling from Qatar to Singapore. In 2011, about 7,000 Qataris visited Singapore, it's a significant number," the Minister-Counsellor at the mission, Syed Noureddin (pictured), told The Peninsula yesterday. Full story

Cruise abruptly cancelled stranding thousands of Australians in Singapore

Yahoo!7, 20 Aug 2013
The holiday plans of about 2000 Australians have been thrown into disarray after their cruise, which was scheduled to depart from Singapore today, was cancelled at the last minute.
Cruise Company, Princess Cruises, says it had no choice but to cancel the 14-day journey from Singapore to Fremantle because of a power failure.
They are offering a full refund, the cost of flights and other expenses, as well as credit towards another cruise. Full story

Negative reports by Singapore media fail to deter discerning Singaporeans from visiting Johor Bahru

Bernama.com.my, 5 Aug 2013
JOHOR BAHARU, Aug 5 (Bernama) -- Despite a Singapore newspaper's negative portrayal of public safety in Malaysia, thousands of people from the republic are thronging Johor Baharu to shop for Aidilfitri.
A number of Singaporeans interviewed by Bernama said Malaysia, particularly Johor Baharu, remained a destination of choice for their families for the festive season shopping.
"Crime can occur anywhere, even in Singapore. After all, our families are familiar and comfortable with Johor Baharu," Rosli Ahmad, who is from Pasir Ris, told Bernama when met at Angsana Plaza with his wife and two children today.
Rosli, who is in his 40s, said he felt that crimes in Malaysia were isolated and not widespread. Full story

Hazardous Fire Haze Clouds Outlook for Singapore Tourism

BusinessWeek, 24 Jun 2013
The pollution will hit tourism-related industries in Singapore, which make up as much as 6 percent of the economy, as well as construction, Joey Chew, an economist at Barclays Plc, said in a research note on June 20. A disruption for one week could cost the economy about $1 billion, Barclays economist Wai Ho Leong said in an e-mail on June 19. Dry weather in 1997 fed blazes that caused $4.4 billion in damages, according to the World Wide Fund for Nature. Full story

Singapore most expensive Asian city for visitors: survey

Xinhua, 14 Jun 2013
SINGAPORE, June 14 (Xinhua) -- A latest survey shows Singapore is the most expensive Asian city to spend a night, local daily Straits Times reported on Friday.
An evening for two costs 495.79 Singapore dollars (396.63 U.S. dollars) in the city state, making it the world's 14th most expensive city for visitors, according to the survey by travel website TripAdvisor.
Tokyo took the 15th spot globally, with an overnight stay costing travellers 495.64 Singapore dollars (396.51 U.S. dollars). Full story

Singapore tourism boom losing steam despite STB pumping billions into marketing

Airwise.com, 27 May 2013
Passenger movements at Singapore's Changi Airport rose just 0.8 percent in April from a year ago in a sign that the boom in Asian air travel is losing steam.
Changi said on Monday it handled 4.24 million passengers last month even as the number of flights passing through the Southeast Asian city-state increased by 4.3 percent from a year ago. The 0.8 percent rise was the smallest since August 2009. Full story

Singapore expects 1 million Indian visitors in 2013

Business Standard, 2 May 2013
The Singapore Tourism Board is aiming at having close to one million visitor arrivals from India during the current calendar year, according to GB Srithar, area director (south Asia).
“The recent opening of new attractions like River Safari and Gardens of Bay are expected to boost tourist arrivals from India,” he told mediapersons here on Thursday.
The board claims to have registered the best-ever performance in 2012 with international tourist arrivals of 14.4 million and tourism receipts of S$ 23 billion, as against 13.2 million and S$ 22.3 billion respectively in 2011. Full story

Related:

1. Get ready for a summer stampede! Indians flock to book overseas flights as holidays abroad work out CHEAPER than staycations - Dailymail.co.uk
2. Singapore goes all out to woos Indian corporates, educational institutions with special packages
3. Singapore woos Indian tourists with 'city in a garden' campaign

Singapore's tourism growth expected to slow down over coming decade

Global Times, 24 Apr 2013
The Singapore Tourism Board expected the city state's international visitor arrivals to grow by 3-4 percent per year on average over the coming decade, local media reported Tuesday.
Second Minister for Trade and Industry S Iswaran also said at a tourism industry conference that the tourism receipt growth is expected to average 4-6 percent per annum over the coming decade.
Both figures are significantly lower than the corresponding figures over the past decade. Full story

Singapore goes all out to woos Indian corporates, educational institutions with special packages

The Hindu Business Line, 9 Apr 2013
The Singapore Tourism Board intends to sharpen its focus on Indian corporates and educational institutions to promote the country as a preferred destination.
The board is working out some special packages for MICE (meetings, incentives, conferencing and exhibitions) travellers and students on ‘study trips’ to Singapore. “We are ready with the draft plan for an attractive scheme for Indian corporates for their MICE activities,” said Chang Chee Pey, Executive Director, Planning Projects, Singapore Tourism Board. He said the board is fine-tuning the scheme details and would launch it by July this year. Full story

Singapore woos Indian tourists with 'city in a garden' campaign

Samaylive.com, 5 Apr 2013
'Go as parents and return as children' entreats the new ad for Singapore Tourism Board, which has launched a customised and differentiated marketing campaign for India.
"Gardens by the Bay are one of the latest attractions adding to our city's evolving landscape. We believe that the experiences offered in Singapore will continue to resonate strongly with the Indian travellers and draw them for repeated trips to Singapore," said Chang Chee Pey, Executive Director, South Asia, Middle East and Africa, Singapore Tourism Board.
The campaign says it recognises the Indian traveller's shift in preference, from sightseeing trips to engaging holidays that offer enriching experiences, allowing them to acquire new skills and knowledge while connecting with loved ones. Full story

Related:

1. New Singapore garden wooings tourists - Hindustan Times
2. Singapore woos Indian tourists with 'city in a garden' - Deccan Chronicle

STB wants to make Singapore an extension of Malaysian lifestyle

Malaysia Star, 30 Mar 2013
CAN Singapore be perceived as an extension of the Malaysian lifestyle? That's what the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) hopes to achieve.
With its flashy ultra-modern city, the island republic has tourism as one of its economic backbones. And given its proximity to Malaysia, it should come as no surprise that Malaysian
tourist arrivals rank third after China and Indonesia.
STB recently launched its new marketing campaign specifically for Malaysian tourists Only in Singapore, right now to enhance tourists' experience and make Singapore as part of their lifestyle. Full story

Singapore To Remain Malaysia's Most Important Source Of Foreign Tourist Arrivals

Bernama.com, 4 Jan 2012
Tourism Malaysia expects Singapore to remain the most important source of foreign tourist arrivals in Malaysia, registering more than 50 per cent of total arrivals annually.
Its director for Singapore, Zalizam Zakaria, said more Singaporeans were expected to visit Malaysia in the coming years, especially during Visit Malaysia Year 2013-2014.
Malaysia ranks third, after Indonesia and China, for Singapore tourist arrivals. Full story

Iswaran aims to attract larger number of tourists and make them spend more

NZweek.com, 26 Dec 2012
S Iswaran, second trade and industry minister, said that the country’s tourism strategy will not only involve attracting a larger number of visitors, but also put more emphasis on deriving higher economic yield from tourists, Channel NewsAsia reported.
This means planning for events and activities to generate extra spending from visitors, it said.
The tourism strategy will be centered around what is known as three Cs, namely, content, clients and connectivity, Iswaran said. Full story

Related:
Better F1 sideshows can boost tourist spending in Singapore - The Malaysian Insider

Singapore reaches out to Indonesian travellers with new campaign

Breaking Travel News, 23 Nov 2012
Following the series of differentiated marketing campaigns launched in China, Australia and India, the Singapore Tourism Board has launched another such campaign, this time designed with the Indonesian tourist in mind.
The new campaign - Only in Singapore, Right Now! - has been launched in Jakarta and like its predecessors, it is focused on tailoring and delivering experiences that are based on a deeper understanding of consumer needs in key visitor-source markets.
In addition to STB’s marketing efforts like PR, print, mobile, advertising and digital tactics like social media, Facebook and twitter, the campaign incorporates strategic collaborations between STB and partners like AirAsia Indonesia and Standard Chartered Indonesia, to co-create and offer special offers and benefits to consumers. Full story

Singapore to woo more Indian visitors into the little island

The Hindu, 22 Nov 2012
The Singapore Tourism Board (STB) has announced the second phase of its customised and differentiated marketing campaign to lure travellers from southern states into staying for a longer duration in the fun island with its latest offering.
The second burst of marketing campaign titled ‘Singapore — the holiday you take home with you’, focuses on ‘family fun’ and ‘romance.’ It also describes the 10 must-visit places based on feedback received from Indian travellers.
Briefing reporters here on Thursday, STB South Asia Director G.B. Srithar said: “India is a key market for us with a healthy traffic. A lot of our tourist attractions depend on Indian visitors … .” Full story

Singapore hotels feel the squeeze as corporate budgets tighten

Reuters, 18 Nov 2012
The best may be over for Singapore's booming hotel market as tightening corporate budgets and bank job cuts leave more luxury rooms empty, crimping profits at firms such as CDL Hospitality Trusts.
The city-state's high-end hotels have been hit harder than moderately priced rooms, which suggests that weaker corporate travel rather than tourism is weighing on demand. September's occupancy rate for upscale and luxury rooms dipped to an average of 81 percent, compared with 86 percent for mid-tier accommodations. Full story

Related:
Singapore hotels feel the squeeze as corporate budgets tighten - The Malaysian Insider

Singapore not celebrating Qantas exit

Yahoo! News Australia, 12 Oct 2012
Singapore's Changi Airport and the city-state's tourism authority aren't celebrating the Qantas decision to move its regional hub to Dubai, says the chief operating officer of hospitality group Far East Organisation.
Raphael Saw, who is paying a 24-hour visit to Sydney to promote the Singaporean hotel company's brand to Australia for the first time, says the gap will be keenly felt.
"With that vacancy, there must be a loss of some visitors from Australia, some of whom go on to Europe," he told AAP. Full story

Related:
Qantas turned to Emirates for alliance after being snubbed by Temasek - report

Singapore saw 1.578 million Chinese visitors in 2011, but how many are genuine tourists?

Xinhua, 7 Oct 2012
SINGAPORE, Oct. 7 (Xinhua) -- More and more Chinese tourists choose to visit Singapore for longer time, with visit arrivals doubled and per capita expenditure tripled during the past ten years from 2002 to 2011.
According to official data from Singapore Tourism Board (STB), China was once the third largest in-bound market for Singapore in 2002, with only 670,000 visitor arrivals. But since 2003, China has become the second largest in-bound market, from which about 1. 578 million people visited Singapore last year, a dramatic increase of 35 percent from 2010. Full story