The Hindu Business Line : Singapore Tourism turns its spotlight on Mumbai

AS the peak holiday season approaches, the tourism boards of different countries are once again in town to roll out the red carpet for Indian tourists.

It turns out that quite a few, including the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) and South African Tourism, are trying to reposition themselves to present a fresh face to their target clientele.

And that is not all. The all-new brands are being broadcast to a larger audience, based in secondary cities such as Pune, Hyderabad and Lucknow. The target audience is the upwardly mobile young professional with money to spare for a foreign holiday.

However, in what could be seen as further recognition of the strong suburban market, the Singapore Tourism Board is refocussing its lens on Mumbai, this time, spotlighting the suburbs including Chembur and Andheri.

The method that the STB has adopted to reach out to these densely populated residential areas is through a closer interaction with travel agents based in the suburbs.

"There is a latent demand in the suburbs and we will work with our trade partners in these localities to find out what people are looking for in their holidays," says Mr Edward Chew, Area Director, West India.

He told Business Line that the STB would work closely with the agents through the conduct of workshops, seminars, and by providing them with tools such as brochures and other publicity material to help them sell the destination better. Mumbai and Chennai, he said, accounted for between 30 and 40 per cent of the total arrivals from India.

So, what distinguishes the prospective traveller from South Mumbai as opposed to that from the suburbs? Maturity, according to him, is the differentiating factor.

The customer from the South may be a seasoned traveller, making a repeat visit to Singapore, while his/her counterpart from the suburbs may be making a first trip.

According to him, the STB has found that while the first-time tourist spends 70 per cent of his/her time taking in the attractions, such as the zoo, the aquarium, and the theme parks, the more seasoned traveller is looking for a more "lifestyle" holidays. The board's ad campaigns would appeal to their distinct choices, he said.