Singapore Targets 200,000 Vietnamese Tourists This Year

Singapore plans to welcome 200,000 arrivals from Vietnam this year to maintain on-year growth of 20 per cent in the number of Vietnamese visitors, the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) has announced.

 

“Vietnam is a potential tourist market, where living standard is being improved,” a STB official said, adding that outbound tourism demand is increasing in Vietnam.

 

“We are pining high hope on exceeding the target as our holiday season is coming. We hope to close 23 per cent higher than last year by the end of this year,” Ong Jin Chwen, the new chief representative of STB in Indochina, said, citing an increase in the number of flights between Singapore and Vietnam among the favorable factors.

 

Most Vietnamese visitors are from the leisure segment of the population, but Chwen sees a lot of potential from MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conventions and Exhibitions) groups in the future.

 

Currently, many Singaporean travel firms arrive in Vietnam to seek cooperation, Chwen said, adding that a marketing campaign will be launched.

 

Vietnam and Singapore have seen some fruitful achievements in tourism over the past years. Notably, the two nations signed a cooperative pact early this August, hoping to boost bilateral tourism ties.

Currently, Singapore is taking the lead in terms of tourism projects in Vietnam with 20 projects valued at US$1.3 billion, followed by Taiwan with 15 projects worth US$784 million and Hong Kong with 41 projects worth US$642 million. (SGT)