Singapore's ‘Christmas in the Tropics’ starts 17 November 2007

The magical extravaganza ‘Christmas in the Tropics’ returns to Singapore from 17 November 2007 to 2 January 2008 with a host of exciting events including festive performances, entertainment events, shopping specials, concerts and dance parties, as well as the popular brilliant display of lights at Orchard Road and Marina Bay.

“Christmas in the Tropics is one of the key tourism drivers for Singapore, being a season that our overseas visitors look forward to,” said Ms Joycelyn Ng, Deputy Director of Leisure Marketing and Events Management, Singapore Tourism Board. “With a programme packed full of shopping, dining and entertainment options, it’s little wonder that one in five visitors surveyed last year planned their trips to coincide with Singapore’s Christmas celebration. We hope that this year will be no different as we create for visitors their most memorable Christmas experience yet.”

A key favourite of the annual Christmas in the Tropics celebration is the Christmas Light-up, themed “A Fairytale Christmas” this year. Scotts Road and the Orchard Road stretch from Tanglin Road to Plaza Singapura and the Marina Bay area from Hotel Rendezvous to Raffles Avenue will be transformed into a bewitching Crystal Forest decked with magnificent chandeliers, magic harps, glittering jewels, dazzling lights in red, gold and white, and even a magical carousel. Conceptualised by Mr Dick Lee who is the Creative Director for the second consecutive year, this fantasy land is the setting for the unfolding of a fairytale inspired by the Nutcracker  Suite, which tells the story of handsome Prince Noel who goes in search of his missing true love, Princess Ballerina, through the Crystal Forest.

For the 17th year running, Hitachi is the sponsor of the Christmas Light-Up along Orchard Road. “The Hitachi Group is delighted to support the Christmas Light-up for the 17th year, raising funds for those in need of help with the hope of lighting up their lives as well. Our commitment to the community demonstrates our corporate philosophy to contribute to society through technology wherever Hitachi is located.” said Mr Shunsuke Ohtsu, Hitachi Ltd’s Chief Executive for Asia.

Apart from the Light-Up, another key highlight is the Celebrate Christmas in Singapore event, with the theme ‘Christmas – It’s All About Love’. Visitors can look forward to Christmas-themed performances nightly at various locations along Orchard Road as well as a colourful parade of floats from 15 to 24 December. There is also an interactive Nativity Village at Plaza Singapura. The festivities culminate in a Grand Christmas concert on Christmas night. Other entertainment highlights during Christmas In The Tropics include performances such as ‘Scrooge – The Musical’, ‘Chitty Chitty Bang Bang’, ‘The Nutcracker – Xmas Fairytale on Ice’, ‘Swan Lake’  and ‘A Crazy Christmas’; the popular ZoukOut outdoor dance festival on Sentosa; The Jewel Christmas Musical Light Show and ‘Snow’ Show at Mount Faber’s Jewel Box; Classical Greece at the Louvre showcasing priceless pieces from the famed Louvre Museum in Paris, displayed for the first time outside the museum at the National Museum of Singapore, as well as myriad countdown parties across the island to ring in the New Year.

Shopping Specials

Santa’s Gift Bag: The season for giving would not be complete without the associated pleasures of shopping. For an added element of surprise, pick up Santa’s Gift Bag. Inspired by the Japanese New Year’s “Fukubukuro”, or “lucky bag”, each bag contains items of mystery at a price less than the sum of all the items. Lucky shoppers may also find their bag filled with special bonus gifts. Santa’s Gift Bags range in price from Sin$20 to Sin$408. Please refer to the Christmas In The Tropics brochure for a list of selected retailers and range of products.

Christmas in the Tropics Souvenirs by RISIS: For the first time, STB is partnering with RISIS to launch special limited-edition Christmas in the Tropics souvenirs including Prince Noel and Princess Ballerina phone charms, key chains and pendants.

Extended Shopping Hours: Last minute Christmas shoppers can look forward to Saturday nights for late night shopping with an added touch of dining and entertainment. Especially for the Christmas season, selected malls will also extend their shopping hours on Fridays and even Sundays. Check details with participating malls Central, Centrepoint, Marina Square, Paragon, Tangs@Orchard, Vivocity and Wisma Atria.

Visitor Promotions

Free Christmas Light-Up Tour: Visitors to Singapore will be treated to a visual spectacle of lights, colours and fantasy on the special Free Christmas Light-Up Tour from 17 November 2007 to 2 January 2008. Each tour on the open-top HiPPO Bus starts at the Animal Farm on Orchard Road. There will be up to 12 rides each night from 7pm to 9.30pm at  15-minute intervals.

Shopping Promotions – Watches & Gadgets: Funan DigitaLife mall is offering special promotional prices on Skype and mobile phones, sound systems and other computer peripherals while Epicentre@Wheelock is offering good deals for iPod buffs. Visitors will also get to enjoy gifts with purchases at e-life@suntec. Watch enthusiasts can look forward to special promotional prices for Nautica, Marc Ecko, Guess and Victorinox Swiss Army watches at major participating malls.

DHL Tourist Express: Visitors can shop to their heart’s content and ship home their buys without hassle. DHL is offering special discounts of up to 75% off in the shipping rates for its specially designed 2kg and 5kg festive boxes. For added convenience, visitors can drop off their items at a convenient location at Tangs. Special rates also apply for larger 10kg and 25kg boxes from 15 October 2007 to 29 February 2008.

Christmas In The Tropics 2006

In 2006, Singapore received more than 1.7 million visitors in November and December, which is a 5% increase over 2005. A survey during the Christmas In The Tropics 2006 season found that almost 5.3 million people visited the Orchard Road area, of which more than 757,000, or 14%, were visitors. The main draw for these visitors was the Christmas Light-Up. Many were repeat visitors coming for their second or more Christmas experience in Singapore with the percentage of repeat visitors increasing from 22% in 2005 to 25% in 2006. Most of them had found out about the Christmas Light-up before their arrival and about one in five visitors had planned to coincide their trip to Singapore with the Christmas Light-up.

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