Singapore makes a strong push to attract more Chinese visitors

Singapore's first-ever "Live it up in Singapore" weekend carnival opens today at the Teem Plaza in Guangzhou, China. Organised with the support of the Guangzhou Tourism Bureau, the two-day consumer roadshow marks a significant milestone in enhancing tourism business links between both cities.

Highlighting Singapore's exciting range of tourist attractions, the carnival offers visitors a variety of unique experiences. Visitors to the event will also get to sample delectable Singaporean cuisine, as well as learn more about  the island-nation's colourful and diverse cultural heritage.

Lending glamour to the event will be Singapore's very own Mediacorp artiste, Ms Fann Wong, who will make two public appearances at the carnival. Fann had played a starring role in the Singapore Tourism Board's  (STB) recent TV, web and print advertising campaign launched in China in December 2002, which was very well-received by the Chinese public.

Mr Lim Neo Chian, Deputy Chairman and Chief Executive of the STB, underlined the importance of the Guangdong Province to Singapore.

"Guangzhou, the capital city of Guangdong, is a vibrant and dynamic metropolis and an important window on the rest of China. Through this carnival, we wish to highlight the diverse range of sightseeing, dining and  shopping experiences available in Singapore, and emphasise that our visitors will need at least three days to appreciate these."

In the light of the increasing importance of the Chinese market to Singapore's tourism growth prospects, the Board is committed to strengthening the Lion City's position as a quality and attractive business, education, healthcare and leisure destination. The ultimate objective is to ensure that all Chinese visitors have a truly memorable stay in Singapore so that they may return for many more visits in the future."

In 2002, Singapore received more than 670,000 visitors from China, a 35 per cent increase as compared to 2001. Of these, 80,000 came from Guangdong province, representing an increase of 18 per cent over the same period a  year ago, and rendering Guangdong the number one visitor-generating Chinese province for Singapore. Within just two years, China has risen to become Singapore's third largest visitor-generating market, up from fifth  position.

The Singapore Carnival is just one of the many promotional programmes the STB has planned for the Chinese market. Other initiatives include organising more media and travel agent familiarisation tours to Singapore, and  promoting our exciting calendar of festivals and events. In addition, the Board will look into developing new sightseeing and attractions experiences, which harness our cultural heritage, nature appeal and East-West lifestyle. 

"We would like to work towards a seamless, two-way flow of visitors between Singapore and China. In addition to tourism development, Singapore hopes to see more frequent cultural and business exchanges  with China in order to establish a mutually beneficial relationship in the long-run," Mr Lim added.