Singapore eyes more Cebu tourists
Written by Ms. Confuse on Thursday, October 02, 2008The Singapore Tourism Board (STB) is reaching out to the Cebuanos to come and visit their country. The STB has identified Cebu as a target market for its tourism roadshow. “I find a lot of potential here in Cebu with the number of Cebuanos visiting Singapore. I think the time is also good (to promote Singapore),” said Lynelle Seow, Singapore Tourism Board area director for Philippines and Brunei. Cebu is Singapore’s second visitor-generating city from the Philippines, next to Manila. More than 20,000 Cebuanos visited Singapore in 2007. The figure was 27 percent higher compared to 2006 record, said Seow. But the number went down by 14 percent or about 2,000 Cebuano arrivals from January to August this year compared to the same period in 2007. “But this is a global trend because of the performance of the economy,” Seow told . She said the Philippines is the ninth tourism source market of Singapore. The country has 10.3 million tourist arrivals in 2007.
The STB will have its first roadshow in Cebu, carrying the Uniquely Singapore brand from Oct. 4 to 5 at SM City Cebu. For the Cebu roadshow, Seow said they target families and young professionals, who travel with their friends, to come and visit Singapore. Seow said they had focused marketing efforts and advertisement in Manila since the STB office was established in the Philippines last 2004. Under the Uniquely Singapore brand, the STB is promoting the country as exciting leisure destination, a global education schoolhouse, a center of business meetings and conventions and as a leading healthcare service provider. “Singapore is a unique combination of the east and the west. There's so much to do in every place that you can create a story in every destination,” she said. Based on the 2015 development master plan, Seow said all estates will be connected by parks and gardens, a way of strengthening Singapore's image as a garden city. While it is known as a shopping destination, Singapore is still up for more developments. In 2010, Universal Studio will open on Sentosa Island. In 2009, an integrated resort will rise along Marina Bay where underwater restaurants, arts and sciences museum and casino, among other,s will be located.
In terms of education, Seow said business, culinary, fine arts and new media courses are popular among Filipino students. Other tourist attractions include the Singapore Flyer, which gives visitors a view of the islands at 42 stories high, and the Orchard Road, a retail and entertainment hub which has 30 malls. Since Singapore is a “unique blend of cultures,” Seow said the country also has its version of Chinatown where trendy retail stores, bars and restaurants can be found.
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