Indian tourists top spenders in Singapore

Even as the whole world is talking about economic slowdown, Indians travelling abroad seem to have thrown the worry to the wind, that is if one goes by the figures of the Singapore Tourism Board (STB).

Even as the whole world is talkingabout economic slowdown, Indians travelling abroad seem tohave thrown the worry to the wind, that is if one goes by thefigures of the Singapore Tourism Board (STB).

Spending by Indian tourists visiting Singapore increasedby 41 per cent to SGD 296 million in the third quarter of lastyear, said the STB today.

Indians were the top growth market in terms of tourismreceipts, boosted by increase in business traffic during thethird quarter, said the STB.

STB data showed that a total of 641,000 Indian touristsvisited Singapore in the first nine months of last year, a sixper cent increase on the year.

The Indian tourists had spent SGD 808 million during theJanuary-September period, it said. The STB said India remained the fifth largest touristgenerating market for the city state, which is also popularamong Indonesians, with 1.925 million visitors recorded duringthe January-September period, an increase of 14 per cent onthe year.

The STB recorded the biggest increase of 39 per cent invisitors from China, totalling 1.23 million during the ninemonths of 2011.

Tourist visitors from neighbouring Malaysia increased by13 per cent to 817,000 and Australia 10 per cent to 717,000visitors during the period.

The five countries accounted for 54 per cent of the totalvisitors to Singapore, totalling 9.8 million for the period,an increase of 15 per cent from corresponding period in 2010.

Tourism receipts or spending by tourists increased by 22per cent year-on-year to SGD 17 billion, it said.

HT Image