Singapore aims for 12.5 million visits in 2010

BALIKPAPAN, East Kalimantan: Singapore is expecting up to 12.5 million tourists in 2010, according to a Singaporean Tourism Board official during a media conference in Balikpapan, East Kalimantan, on Saturday.

Manager of Singapore Tourism Board of Medan office, North Sumatra, Hassan Kassim said that last year the country had 9.6 millions visitors, 70 percent from Indonesia.

"According to the immigration data, the annual number of Indonesian visitors to Singapore is 1.7 million on average. They come to Singapore for holidays, business trips, health treatments and education," said Hassan, adding that 70 percent of Indonesian visitors arrived for vacation.

Hassan said many visitors also came from secondary cities such as Balikpapan, Samarinda, Kotabaru and Banjarmasin.

"That is why the Singapore Tourism Board has launched tourism promotion in Balikpapan, through the Singapore Tourism Fair from March 13 to 14," he said. - JP