Following the COVID-19 pandemic, travellers from India are spending more time in Singapore. Their stay has gone up from 6.1 days pre-pandemic, to 8 or 9 days now. The Indian traveller is also more discerning now, and is trying to ensuring a reduction of carbon footprint: travellers check if the hotel they are staying at is sustainable, G.B. Srithar, Regional Director, (India, Middle East, South Asia and Africa) Singapore Tourism Board (STB) told The Hindu on the sidelines of a press conference in Chennai on Monday.
India accounted for over 6.86 lakh of the overall 63 lakh global visitor arrivals in 2022, emerging as Singapore’s second-largest source market after Indonesia. With direct flight connectivity between Singapore and 17 Indian cities, of which four are in Tamil Nadu, Singapore is poised to tap into the burgeoning travel demand from across the country, Mr. Srithar said. Travel from India to Singapore has picked up pace since April 2022, with the ease in travel restrictions, he added.
Renjie Wong, Area Director, (India, South Asia & Middle East) STB, said people travelled for various reasons including food, shopping or events. “We see a lot of young travellers coming in for events. Last year’s F1 night races were the biggest ever so far. We also have the cocktail festival, Christmas festival and a wellness festival. Since Singapore is a popular place for concerts, a lot of pop stars and musicians choose it as the only destination in Asia that attracts travellers,” he said.
Officials of the STB were in the city to engage with travel trade partners.