Singapore sees surge in Indian tourist arrivals

Indian travellers come to Singapore to enjoy the country's many new attractions but we think they also find affinity in our Indian culture and heritage and feel at home here.

India is one of the fastest growing markets for tourist arrivals in Singapore post-pandemic, says Mark Shaw, Chairman of Orchard Road Business Association.

In fact, we saw a huge surge of Indian tourists to the Republic this year, Shaw told PTI. Indian travellers come to Singapore to enjoy the country's many new attractions but we think they also find affinity in our Indian culture and heritage and feel at home here.

Government data shows Indian visitor arrivals up 15.5 per cent to 792,935 for the first nine months of this year compared to the same period last year. Shaw said according to an industry survey Indian travellers are among the highest spenders globally.

We are confident that members of Orchard Road Business Association will be able to delight them with a wide range of interesting and innovative product and service offerings, said Shaw, citing the upcoming festival season in the city-state, with Deepavali on November 12 and then from November 16 the Christmas light-up along Orchard Road to the New Year. ORBA last week unveiled a programme for its annual Christmas on 'A Great Street Light Up' along Singapore's most popular tourist and hotel belt.

The annual Orchard Road light up, now in its 40th year, has set a tradition of celebrating festivals with colourful decorations and light ups of other precincts in Singapore. The success of the first Orchard light-up sparked interest, following which similar light-ups took place in Chinatown, Geylang and Little India, Shaw pointed out.

Supported by businesses in the precinct and as a way of celebrating a festival, the Little India light up for this year is on from September 30 till December 3, along the main thoroughfares of Serangoon Road and a section of Race Course Road, to attract tourists as well as local visitors. Coaches of the metro running through the Little India Precincts have been decorated with paintings of rangoli and peacocks as well as greetings from the Land Transport Authority, metro operator SMRT Trains and the Little India Shopkeepers and Heritage Association while it is supported by the Indian Heritage Centre.

Similarly, the light-up celebrations will continue during the Chinese New Year (Lunar New Year) which is held January-February in Chinatown as well as Hari Raya Puasa (Eid) celebration light up in Geylang, a traditional Malay settlement which is still a popular shopping precinct mostly for the Muslim community. Last year, more than 4 million people joined the merry-making events at hotels and malls and this year, the organiser is expecting 5-6 million locals and tourists during the six-week festivities along the fashionable Orchard Road, now a hub for international hotels and retail outlets of global brands.