According to TTG Asia, Singapore revamps its Rediscover Singapore From Your Heart campaign for S$1 million (US$800,000) to draw more Chinese visitors after seeing a drop in Chinese arrivals in the past four months.
The Singapore Tourism Board (STB) has collaborated with tourist-oriented organizations including Changi Airport Group, Marina Bay Sands, Resorts World Sentosa and Wildlife Reserves Singapore to launch a five month campaign which will end on October. Travel agencies from both countries will also be taking part in multiple road shows held in China’s major cities to entice more Chinese tourists to the country.
Singapore saw a 27 % boost in Chinese arrivals in the first half of last year. It was also the first time that the Chinese were recorded as the highest tourist spenders, overtaking Indonesians, who held the title since 2007, according to the Asia News Network.
STB figures revealed that Chinese tourists spent 3 % more than Indonesians in the first half of last year, equivalent to S$1.52 billion, excluding spending on entertainment and sightseeing. However, Singapore has witnessed a fall in Chinese arrivals in recent months. Chinese arrivals in Changi were recorded at 1.87 million, a 1.7 % decline year on year.
The drop is believed to be caused by the coup d’etat in Thailand as well as the disappearance of the Malaysian Airlines flight MH370, which mostly carried Chinese passengers. And while tour packages to Southeast Asia cover all three countries, Singapore as a destination country has been affected.
Ngee Ann Polytechnic senior tourism lecturer Michael Chiam considers that it will be better for Singapore to market itself as a single destination country.
Singapore trying to target Chinese tourists as it is a potentially big market. ETurboNews, a global travel and tourism bulletin said that the World Tourism Organization predicts that by 2020, China will become the world’s fourth largest tourist-generating country.
