The Singapore Tourism Board intends to sharpen its focus on Indian corporates and educational institutions to promote the country as a preferred destination.

The board is working out some special packages for MICE (meetings, incentives, conferencing and exhibitions) travellers and students on ‘study trips’ to Singapore. “We are ready with the draft plan for an attractive scheme for Indian corporates for their MICE activities,” said Chang Chee Pey, Executive Director, Planning Projects, Singapore Tourism Board. He said the board is fine-tuning the scheme details and would launch it by July this year.

Similarly, special packages for 4-5-day study trips to the country will also be announced soon. “We are planning to organise familiarisation trips to school authorities to understand what Singapore has to offer,” he said.

Elaborating on this, Chee Pey said going by statistics, Indian business travellers in Singapore spend more than their counterparts from other countries. An average business traveller from India spends S$2,200 a trip, while the average spend by business travellers from other countries is S$2,000. And, around 50 per cent of it goes towards accommodation and food, 25 per cent on shopping, and the rest on local travel and other things.

India is the fifth biggest source market for Singapore after China, Indonesia, Malaysia and Australia. In 2012, approximately nine lakh Indians visited the country. ravikumar.r@thehindu.co.in

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