It’s no question that Singapore is the major tourism and business hub in all of Asia. This city state received an estimate of 14 million visitors in 2012, which is double its current population, generating over $23 Billion in revenue. A major industry and contributor to Singapore’s economy, the Tourism Board is hot on its heels about coming up with more plans on bringing in even more tourists in the years to come – with a target of at least 17 million tourists and $30 Billion in revenue by the year 2015.
With the country’s current 14 Million average tourists per year, this target isn’t too far off. So what is the Singapore Tourism Board doing right?
Here are 4 reasons why tourism is Singapore is booming:
Shopping
A national pastime, Singapore boasts of an impressive number of shopping centers all around the city. It has several shopping belts including Marina Bay, Little India, and the famous Orchard Road – a 2.2 kilometer major shopping and entertainment destination. It has several multi-storey malls, nightclubs, upscale restaurants, cafes, and even hotels.
The Great Singapore Sale is a yearly event organized by the Tourism Board as an 8-week event participated by over 20,000 shops and visited by over 100,000 shoppers from all over the world. Late Night Shopping is also a major attraction, where shops are open until 11 pm and people can enjoy promos and deals.
Sports Events
The Singapore F1 weekend race is one of the year’s most celebrated and anticipated sports events. This night race has boosted tourism and bookings in the city state with an average of 12% increase from the previous year. More and more people have even booked accommodations and tourist packages this year as the event coincides with the mid-Autumn festivals in China and Korea, boosting bookings made by tourists from these countries. Along with sports events, major concerts are also attracting tourists to Singapore – along with the F1 race, a major concert was to follow, with world-famous pop stars such as Rihanna and rock band The Killers as headliners.
Island Resorts
One key ingredient to Singapore’s success as a major tourist destination in Asia is their much beloved Sentosa. This island located in the south of the city boasts of beach front resorts, historical museums, and theme parks. The Marina Bay Sands and Resorts World Sentosa were built in 2010, giving tourists attractions that could not be found in their home countries. Major markets for Singapore’s tourism are Indonesia, Malaysia, India, China, and Australia – where establishments like the Universal Studios and other theme parks can’t be found.
The MICE Sector
MICE stands for Meetings, Incentives, Conventions, Exhibitions – a major sector that brings in billions of revenue for Singapore. The city state is fast becoming one of the leaders in the world in terms of holding conventions. Singapore is number 1 in Asia, with 150 events in 2012, and is among the top 10 most favored choices for MICE in the world, alongside Barcelona, Vienna, and Berlin, among others.
With Singapore being the business hub of South East Asia, along with its offerings of MICE space and the city’s overall state of the art technology, they are the top choice for companies and organizations. This sector is highly recognized by the Tourism Board as a major player in their plans to attract more business tourists, as they spend three times more than the average tourist.
Singapore is enjoying growth and development because of many reasons and one of these is due to its throbbing tourism industry.
About the author
Johnny Lai is the owner of Exclusive Limo and Car Rentals, providing a complete range of excellent transport services in Singapore with the best quality customer services.