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Singapore woos India's millennial travelers
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Little India district in Singapore. It's Singaporean neighbourhood east of the Singapore River and commonly known as Tekka in the local Tamil community (Shutterstock/Richie Chan)
S
ingapore wants to attract Indian millennial tourists. And it is hoping a three-day festival will showcase to young Indians all that Singapore has to offer - from art and entertainment to a bustling nightlife.
The Singapore Tourism Board (STB) has partnered with the St+art India Foundation, a non-profit group, for the experiential festival, called Singapore Weekender, that started in New Delhi yesterday.
The festival includes works by a dozen Singaporean artists such as Samantha Lo and Daniel Yu, a pop-up cocktail bar by Jigger and Pony, and a performance by Singaporean rapper Yung Raja.
A road in central Delhi's Lodhi art district has been converted into "Singapore Lane" featuring street art by Singaporean artists like Eugene Soh and Yip Yew Chong.
STB's regional director (South Asia, Middle East and Africa) G. B. Srithar said: "We are trying to say art, entertainment and nightlife is something Singapore offers and they would be surprised to find that Singapore offers so many different types of experiences. It is one way of connecting with young adults."
Mr Srithar also noted that more than half of India's population is considered part of the millennial generation. "In recognition of the fact that 67 per cent of the Indian population is under the age of 35, over the last few years we have started to look at this market of young adults... Their passion points and interests are very different."
A road in central Delhi's Lodhi art district has been converted into "Singapore Lane" featuring street art by Singaporean artists like Eugene Soh and Yip Yew Chong.
STB's regional director (South Asia, Middle East and Africa) G. B. Srithar said: "We are trying to say art, entertainment and nightlife is something Singapore offers and they would be surprised to find that Singapore offers so many different types of experiences. It is one way of connecting with young adults."
Mr Srithar also noted that more than half of India's population is considered part of the millennial generation. "In recognition of the fact that 67 per cent of the Indian population is under the age of 35, over the last few years we have started to look at this market of young adults... Their passion points and interests are very different."
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Mr Chang Chee Pey, STB's assistant chief executive (international group), said: "India, given the size of its population and proximity to Singapore, will continue to be an important market for the Singapore Tourism Board.
"This is one example of how we are engaging with the new generation of Indian travellers."
Singapore remains a popular destination for Indian tourists.
According to STB, 1.45 million Indian tourists visited Singapore in 2018, a 13 per cent increase over the previous year, making India the third largest source of tourists after China and Indonesia.
Last year, Singapore saw 3.4 million visitors from China and three million from Indonesia.
This article appeared on The Straits Times newspaper website, which is a member of Asia News Network and a media partner of The Jakarta Post
