Singapore to lure more Gujarat shoppers

Singapore is expecting more than a lakh new visitors from India.

The capital country, which also attracted 9,000 visitors from Ahmedabad, a 34 per cent jump from 2004, will be targetting the city to in its plans to attract Indian visitors to reach its ambitious aim of attarcting 17 million visitors

"India is the fifth largest source market for Singapore tourism and Ahmedabad city has the seventh highest visitors from India," said Kang Siew Kheng, regional director, South Asia, Middle East and Africa. She was in the city to promote Singapore tourism in the Gujarat.

"The market grew by 34 per cent and we are committed to target people from Gujarat. We are organising joint marketting with travel agents and airlines and also organising a consumer event next week, " she added.

She told Business Standard that they would be promoting Singapore not only as a shopping destination but also as a lifestyle and entertainment destination.

"Singapore is not only a shopping destination. We have excellent beaches, entertainment zones and other facilities. In the next few years, we would promote Singapore as a lifestyle and entertainment destination, " she added.

Indian visitors who contribute about 6 per cent of the global trotters visiting the country stays for 5.5 days and their per capita spending is around Rs 28,000, Rebecca LIM Wan Yee, area director Western India said.

About 40 per cent of these visitors are business visitors, Kand added.

The country is also inviting educational institutes and corporates to come explore the country as a new destination.

"Singapore has an international environment, safe and has world class institutes. We would like more educational institutes to come to the country. Also, we would promote business conventions and meetings in the country, " Kang said.

There are about 16,000 Indian companies who have branches in Sungapore and there are three educational institutes in Singapore, she added.

Singapore will be introducing Asia's first spaceworld where visitors can experience the life of an astronaut for a day and developing its city centres to put it at par with Las Vegas. It attracted 8.9 mn visitors in 2005.