Travel News Europe - #89 - December 2008 - (Page 14)

n destination/ SINGAPORE Singapore THE IsLAND-sTATE Is A fusION Of EAsT AND wEsT AND Is BrIMMING wITH ENTErTAINMENT OPTIONs, wITH MANY MOrE IN THE PIPELINE…. All photos courtesy of Singapore Tourism Board T he island-state of Singapore is separated from the Malaysian Peninsula by the Straits of Johor and from Indonesia to the south by the Singapore Strait. Singapore consists of one main island and 63 other tiny islands, most of which are uninhabited. Singapore is among the 20 smallest countries in the world and has a population of 4.2 million; approximately 77% Chinese, 14% Malays, 8% Indians and 1% people of other descent. Although Malay is the national language and Chinese and Tamil are also spoken, English is widely used and for a great many Singaporeans is spoken daily and understood like a first language. In common with many destinations, Singapore is expecting to record a drop in visitor arrivals this year, due to the global financial crisis, with a monthly falls in visitor numbers being recorded since June. Despite this overall visitor decline, Singapore recorded a 3.2% rise in UK visitors during September 2008 compared with the same period last year - this result was largely attributed to the 2008 FORMULA 1™SingTel Singapore Grand Prix – the first ever Formula 1™ night race and Asia’s first street race. With around 34,000 arrivals, the UK was one of Singapore’s strongest performing markets during the month, reinforcing its position as Singapore’s largest European source market, sending 495,693 visitors in 2007. In addition to the F1 race, around the 5.067km Marina Bay circuit, Singapore’s Grand Prix Season included a wide range of complementary events including the Singapore River Festival and Singapore Motorshow 2008, whilst the Singapore Beer Festival took place at Fort Canning. Divya Panickar, STB, said: “The FORMULA 1™SingTel Singapore Grand Prix has been a tremendous boost for Singapore, especially from the UK market, at a time when we are experiencing a challenging global economic environment. Singapore is attracting more visitors by hosting world-class events such as the Grand Prix (which Singapore will host for the next 4 years), and undertaking substantial development projects. 2009 and 2010 will see the launch of 2 exciting integrated resorts – Marina Bay Sands and Resorts World Sentosa – as well as Marina Barrage - Singapore’s first dam in the city with a range of water14 TRAVEL NEWS EUROPE based activities, a new International Cruise Centre and Gardens by the Bay, all helping to attract visitors who may not have previously considered the destination.” A surge in total visitor arrivals from all overseas markets from 2530 September, peaking at 30.3% growth from 25 to 27 September, is also attributed to pre-Hari Raya traffic, one of the 3 colourful autumn festivals that celebrate Singapore’s unique ethnic heritage. The Hari Raya celebrations that mark the end of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan in October begin with the September ‘light up’ that attracts many visitors. Future developments, attractions & events The Volvo Ocean Race, the premier offshore yachting event and a first for a South East Asian city, comes to Singapore in January 2009. This race takes place over 9 months, covering nearly 39,000 nautical miles of the globe’s most treacherous seas. The 2008/09 race will visit 12 ports around the world and incorporate 8 inshore races and 8 ‘pro-am’ races. In 2010 Singapore will host the inaugural Youth Olympic Games (14-26 August). The 12-day event is expected to draw 3,200 athletes, aged 14 - 18 years, and 15,000 participants including athletes, officials, spectators and media. The first of Singapore’s two Integrated Resort developments, Marina Bay Sands, is due to open in 2009. It is a spectacular leisure, entertainment and 2600-room, 3 tower hotel development, featuring over 120,000sqm of meetings and exhibition space and Singapore’s first ever casino. Marina Bay Sands is expected to stimulate an additional S$2.7 billion to Singapore’s annual GDP and generate 30,000 jobs throughout the economy by 2015. The second Integrated Resort, the US$3.6 billion Resorts World Sentosa, situated on Singapore’s leisure island, due to open in 2010, will be home to South East Asia’s first Universal Studios theme park, 6 themed hotels, its 2nd casino and the world’s largest oceanarium, as well as convention facilities, retail, dining, spa and entertainment options. Singapore’s first dam in the city, Marina Barrage, will offer waterbased activities, such as windsurfing and dragon boating, events and performances when it is fully December 2008 operational in 2009. Singapore’s international cruise infrastructure will double in capacity by 2010 when the new International Cruise Terminal at Marina South becomes operational. The two berths at the new facility will be able to accommodate the largest ships in service (as well as on the order books), complementing the two existing berths at the Singapore Cruise Centre at HarbourFront. The facilities will help Singapore to meet its target of 1.6 million cruise passengers annually by 2015. In 2007, Singapore Cruise Centre reported a cruise passenger throughput of over 943,000 - an increase of over 10% compared to 2006. The first phase of the 101-hectare (249 acre) ‘Gardens by the Bay’, a complex built on 3 parks by the waterfront at Marina Bay in the heart of the city, will be completed by 2010 and will feature waterfront gardens, green sanctuaries and scenic settings. Full completion is expected in 2011. The new National Art Gallery is slated for completion by 2014. Shopping in Singapore spaces for staging events. 3 new shopping malls will open on Orchard Road by 2009: ION Orchard, Orchard Central and Somerset Central. Singapore ranked as ‘Top International Meeting City’ Orchard Road, Singapore’s premier shopping street, is consistently ranked the most-visited attraction in Singapore, drawing over 7 million visitors each year. The planned landscape and infrastructural enhancements to Orchard Road commenced in April, with completion expected by February 2009. The S$40 million project includes state-of-theart lighting to highlight the street’s tree-lined boulevard and new creative Singapore has been ranked the 2007 “Top International Meeting City” in the Union of International Associations (UIA) 2007 Global Rankings. In the UIA’s International Meetings Statistics 2007 report, Singapore leapfrogged two notches to clinch the top position, beating Paris (ranked 2nd) and Vienna (3rd). “The UIA congratulates Singapore on the steady growth in the number of international meetings it has hosted over the past few years, which results from and reflects upon the focus, quality and creativity of the Singapore meetings industry,” said Jacques de Mevius, Secretary-General, UIA. Singapore also topped the rankings in Asia, as Asia’s top country and city for meetings, a position it has held for the last 24 consecutive years for the latter. Singapore accounted for 22.5% of the meetings held in Asia in 2007. Over the past 10 years, Singapore has seen a 256% growth in international meetings. In 2007 Singapore hosted 465 international meetings that met UIA’s qualifying criteria - a 56% growth over 2006. Additionally, for the 10th consecutive year, Singapore was voted the “Best Business City in the World” by the discerning readers of the reputable Business Traveller Asia Pacific publication. Singapore also picked up the top honours as the www.travelnewseurope.com http://www.travelnewseurope.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Travel News Europe - #89 - December 2008

Cover
Contents
NEWS
DESTINATIONS - Cyprus
�- Singapore
BUSINESS - MICE
�- Cyprus MICE
Luxury Travel
Exhibitions

Travel News Europe - #89 - December 2008