Tourists riding on rickshaws in Singapore
© AFP/File Roslan Rahman BANGALORE, India (AFP) - Singapore Tourism Board officials met with the Indian travel industry in the high-tech hub of Bangalore, dangling planned attractions from a giant ferris wheel to the Formula One Grand Prix and the city-state's first casino.
India is the fastest-growing source of visitors for Singapore, which recorded 14 percent growth in Indian arrivals to 749,000 in 2007, said Siew-Kheng Kang, regional director of the Singapore Tourism Board.
Tourism in Singapore grew overall 5.4 percent in 2007 to 10.3 million arrivals.
"India is a star performer," the official told reporters. "We expect the same kind of double-digit growth this year. In 2009, we want to welcome one million Indian visitors."
An economy expanding by around nine percent and growing incomes have stoked travel interest among Indians.
Singapore, which has launched a high-profile promotional campaign in India, is competing with Southeast Asian neighbours such as Malaysia and Thailand to lure Indian visitors.
India is the fourth-largest source of tourists for the city-state behind Indonesia, China and Australia, and Indians, who stay an average 5.5 days, are among the top spenders.
©AFP