AUSTRALIAN travellers kept travel agents busy this year as they helped Singapore celebrate a “happy 50th birthday”, marking the golden jubilee of the island nation’s independence.
More than a million Australians visit Singapore each year, with the most recent visitor figures showing an upward trend with an increase of seven per cent in 2013.
The 2013 visitor arrival figures showed 1.125 million travellers from Australia visited the island city-state.
Singapore continues to be an attractive destination for everyone, with International Visitor Arrivals (IVA) totalling 15.6 million for 2013.
Australia continues to be the fourth-highest international visitor market for Singapore, behind Indonesia (3 million), China (2.27 million) and Malaysia (1.28 million). Australians also continued to spend, topping S$1 million.
And Australians are finding more reasons to stay longer, with the average length of stay increasing steadily from 2.89 nights in 2010 to 3.2 nights in 2014.
“We’re thrilled that increasingly more Australians are visiting our city and we’re excited to present the diverse range of experiences, from food, entertainment and attractions through to cultural festivals and nightlife that Singapore offers all-year round,” said Singapore Tourism Board area director Oceania, Sharon Lam.
With eight airlines linking Australia and Singapore, access has never been easier for Australians, with new air routes opening up in recent months. Qantas reintroduced five weekly return Perth-Singapore flights in June, and Silkair launched a new route between Cairns and Singapore in August.
The cruise market is also booming. Royal Caribbean International has recently signed a multi-million dollar marketing collaboration with the Singapore Tourism Board and Changi Airport Group to promote cruising out of Singapore to a burgeoning fly-cruise market.
