STB to Target 12-13 Million Visitor Arrivals in 2011

The Annual Tourism Industry Conference, organized by the Singapore Tourism Board, was held at the Suntec Exhibition and Convention Centre on Tuesday morning.

The conference brings together tourism and travel related professionals involved in the tourism industry in Singapore, including Horwath HTL Asia Pacific.

Sentiment at the conference was very positive, with the Singapore Tourism Board reporting an exceptional 11.6 million visitor arrivals in 2010, which accounted for tourism receipts of approximately Sin$18.8 billion - a whopping 49% growth over the challenging year of 2009.

The growth was fuelled by the opening of the two integrated resorts - Resorts World Sentosa and Marina Bay Sands - and the introduction of a slew of tourism products including new attractions, hotels and international events, such as TravelRave.

In the recent World Economic Forum’s Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Index 2011, Singapore came out tops in Asia Pacific, and was ranked in 10th place out of more than 130 countries. Competitiveness criteria include policy rules and regulations, infrastructure, safety and security, and human resources.

Speaking at the conference, Mr. S Iswaran, Senior Minister of State for Trade and Industry, highlighted the need for Singapore to move away from quantity-driven tourism to focusing on quality and yield, in order to sustain the growth in the tourism sector. With innovative ideas, an integrated approach within the industry and greater productivity, Mr Iswaran said he is confident Singapore can ride on Asia's momentum and position itself for the next phase of growth.

According to Ms. Aw Kah Peng, Chief Executive, Singapore Tourism Board, Singapore is targeting to attract 12 to 13 million visitor arrivals in 2011, bringing in total tourism receipts of approximately Sin$ 22 to 24 billion.

The Singapore Tourism Board also unveiled its new innovative mobile App, YourSingapore Mobile Guide, which will be launched in May 2011. Supported by StarHub, the new mobile guide will be free to download and to use, thus encouraging users to discover the various tourism product offerings in Singapore, from live events and places of interests, to dining options and shopping deals.

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