THE Singapore Tourism Board (STB) is casting a wider net to capture more Indonesian travellers, noting that tourism receipts have taken a hit from the depreciation of the rupiah last year.
The NTO has planned a series of marketing and promotional activities in the country for this year, with a “strategy to build a longer term proposition for Singapore as a choice of lifestyle destination”, according to Kenneth Lim, STB’s regional director for ASEAN (I) Oceania.
Indonesia continued to rank first in arrivals to Singapore last year, with the January-September figure totalling 2.3 million, nine per cent higher than in 2012.
However, in terms of tourism receipts, Indonesia dropped three per cent to S$2.3 billion (US$1.8 billion) and its position as the number one contributor to the country was taken over by China.
Lim said: “As we all know, in all industries, China is growing very rapidly. Also, in the last six months or so, the rupiah had depreciated quite a lot against the Singapore dollar because of the US dollar, and this clearly affected travellers’ spending in the country.”
Michele Wooi, STB’s Indonesia area director, said: “Our focus will continue to be on the leisure market, encouraging travellers to try new things.
“We will also promote BT-MICE and experiential learning.”
Some of the “new things” are sports tourism with the opening of Singapore Sports Hub and the first WTA Championship in October, River Safari’s Amazon Boat Quest, Shark Encounter and Sea Trek at Marine Life Park, as well as cruising.
“We are not only promoting events but also Singapore’s precincts, where travellers can stroll along in their free time,” she said.
Wooi added that STB would explore new markets outside Jakarta this year, as accessibility improves.
While Jakarta, Surabaya and Medan continue to deliver the most numbers for Indonesia, Jogjakarta appeared, for the first time, in the fourth place as the city received additional services from SilkAir and Tigerair last year.
Singapore courts Indonesians, highlights new products
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