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Singapore’s tourism allure increases
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Compiled by Hong Nguyen

Cheap airfares and attractive discounts lured 17 percent more Vietnamese tourists to Singapore in the first five months of this year than in the same period last year.

In May alone, the number of Vietnamese tourists who traveled to Singapore rose by 12 percent year-on-year to 20,000 arrivals, Jin Chwen Ong, Indochina region director of the Singapore Tourism Board told Saigon Times.

In the first five months of the year, some 101,000 Vietnamese holidaymakers took mini-breaks in Singapore, Ong said.

He attributed the growth to the Singapore Tourism Board’s global marketing campaign, “2009 Reasons to Enjoy Singapore,” which includes cheap package tours, services and airfares.

International tourists, including those from Vietnam, are also attracted by the annual “Great Singapore Sales” promotion from May 29 to July 26 when shops discount their merchandise by up to 70 percent, he said.

The Singapore Tourism Board has cooperated with a number of Vietnamese travel agencies to offer discount tours that include Singapore shopping vouchers worth up to S$209 (US$144).

“We will maintain our expectations for growth of 10 to 15 percent in the number of Vietnamese tourist arrivals to Singapore this year,” Ong said.

Vietnam was last year the fastest-growing segment of Singapore’s inbound tourism market. The city-state welcomed 240,000 Vietnamese visitors last year, an increase of 17 percent over 2007.

In related news, mobile phone manufacturer Sony Ericsson is offering Vietnamese mobile phone users a chance to win 8,804 prizes, including four three-day trips for two to Singapore. Entry to the competition is free when purchasing a Sony Ericsson product before July 31.

The main prize includes VND100 million ($5,846) to spend shopping during the winner’s stay in Singapore, Sai Gon Tiep Thi (Sai Gon Marketing) newspaper reported.