By Wong Mun Wai, Channel NewsAsia
Using the Singapore Tourist Pass, tourists can now have an unlimited number of rides on buses and trains here.
Some 30,000 of these cards have been printed and are on sale at TransitLink Ticket Offices, and the following MRT stations: Changi Airport, Orchard, Chinatown, City Hall, Raffles Place, Ang Mo Kio, Harbour Front and Bugis.
For S$8 a day, the card gets tourists one, two or three days of unlimited travel on buses and trains.
The tourist pass, which is similar to an EZ-Link card, is also bundled with retail promotions at merchants such as Goldheart and Cheers.
An adult EZ-Link card costs S$15, including a stored value of S$7. But a one-day tourist card costs a total of S$18, with S$10 to be refunded if the tourist returns the card within five days.
The Singapore Tourism Board (STB) said data on how tourists use the card will be applied in future planning.
"One is the usage, as to where they go. And that gives an indication of the places… they would like to visit. And also maybe from a retail point of view, the kind of goods they consume," said STB’s communications director Mohamed Rostam.
EZ-Link is also preparing for an influx of visitors in the coming years.
EZ-Link’s senior vice-president of business and technology Nicholas Lee pointed out, the IRs will boost local tourism industry, "but the challenge for us is, how do we get those people to use the card? How do we make them aware that this is a value-for-money proposition?"
Also launched Wednesday was a more comprehensive transport guide for tourists, which includes key bus services around the city, as well as train, taxi and information on tourist hotspots.
ARTICLE SOURCE: http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/317059/1/.html
*** For Singapore pictures and itineraries, visit www.traveljournal.com.ph.
Friday, December 14, 2007
Monday, November 26, 2007
Singapore Tourist: Outdoor skating is latest Christmas attraction to pull in crowds
By Margaret Perry, Channel NewsAsia
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/313645/1/.html
It is exactly a month before Christmas Day and the Singapore retail scene is already in a festive mood.
To give Singaporeans and expatriates a taste of a European Christmas in the tropics, a traditional Christmas Fair – minus woolly hats and gloves – was organised.
Jane Glascow, General Manager of The Pantry, Loewen Gardens, said: "I'm a bit of a Christmas freak – I love Christmas, and we needed to put Loewen Gardens on the map so I googled to find out what the Canadians' skate on in the summer."
Visitors can now skate in an outdoor rink made of Super Ice, a plastic compound that will not melt in the heat.
But that does not make it any easier for beginners, so help is available from the Heartware Network.
Skates can be hired at a cost of S$12 for an hour or S$8 for half an hour.
Limited to 25 skaters at any one time, the surface is as slippery as normal ice and it still hurts when one falls, but at least one wouldn't get wet or cold.
And for more than three-quarters of a million visitors, the Christmas Light-Up in Orchard Road is a major draw.
Tourists can take a half hour HiPPOtour to get the best view of the lights, courtesy of the Singapore Tourism Board (STB).
The tours start at the DuckTours office next to the STB Visitors Centre on Orchard Road and they run from 7pm till 9.30pm.
It took more than 125,000 man hours to put up the decorations in the Orchard Road and Marina Zone.
And it seems the efforts are very well appreciated.
"Very pretty, very, very Christmassy... we really enjoyed it," said a visitor.
Another tourist said: "This country is not so cold so these lights give you the mood of winter. They have done a very nice job."
"I think they've captured the spirit of Christmas, haven't they?"
A similar tour will be available for Singapore residents the weekend before Christmas, at a charge.
*** For Singapore itineraries and pictures, go to www.traveljournal.com.ph.
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/313645/1/.html
It is exactly a month before Christmas Day and the Singapore retail scene is already in a festive mood.
To give Singaporeans and expatriates a taste of a European Christmas in the tropics, a traditional Christmas Fair – minus woolly hats and gloves – was organised.
Jane Glascow, General Manager of The Pantry, Loewen Gardens, said: "I'm a bit of a Christmas freak – I love Christmas, and we needed to put Loewen Gardens on the map so I googled to find out what the Canadians' skate on in the summer."
Visitors can now skate in an outdoor rink made of Super Ice, a plastic compound that will not melt in the heat.
But that does not make it any easier for beginners, so help is available from the Heartware Network.
Skates can be hired at a cost of S$12 for an hour or S$8 for half an hour.
Limited to 25 skaters at any one time, the surface is as slippery as normal ice and it still hurts when one falls, but at least one wouldn't get wet or cold.
And for more than three-quarters of a million visitors, the Christmas Light-Up in Orchard Road is a major draw.
Tourists can take a half hour HiPPOtour to get the best view of the lights, courtesy of the Singapore Tourism Board (STB).
The tours start at the DuckTours office next to the STB Visitors Centre on Orchard Road and they run from 7pm till 9.30pm.
It took more than 125,000 man hours to put up the decorations in the Orchard Road and Marina Zone.
And it seems the efforts are very well appreciated.
"Very pretty, very, very Christmassy... we really enjoyed it," said a visitor.
Another tourist said: "This country is not so cold so these lights give you the mood of winter. They have done a very nice job."
"I think they've captured the spirit of Christmas, haven't they?"
A similar tour will be available for Singapore residents the weekend before Christmas, at a charge.
*** For Singapore itineraries and pictures, go to www.traveljournal.com.ph.
Thursday, October 25, 2007
Singapore airport offers free city tour to transit passengers
*** For Singapore pictures and itineraries, visit traveljournal.com.ph
Singapore - Airline passengers using Singapore airport now have the option of filling waiting times with a free sightseeing tour.
According to Singapore's tourist office in Frankfurt there are two guided tours on offer.
One tour takes a look at Singapore's colonial past while the other offers an insight into the city's varied cultural heritage.
Travellers thinking of availing of this offer need to register at the visitor centre in the transit area of Changi Airport.
The only requirement is that the waiting time between flights is at least five hours.
Travellers with more than six hours of time on their hands can also use a free shuttle service to the city centre, which connects the airport with Singapore's best shopping areas.
Article from http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/128786.html
Singapore - Airline passengers using Singapore airport now have the option of filling waiting times with a free sightseeing tour.
According to Singapore's tourist office in Frankfurt there are two guided tours on offer.
One tour takes a look at Singapore's colonial past while the other offers an insight into the city's varied cultural heritage.
Travellers thinking of availing of this offer need to register at the visitor centre in the transit area of Changi Airport.
The only requirement is that the waiting time between flights is at least five hours.
Travellers with more than six hours of time on their hands can also use a free shuttle service to the city centre, which connects the airport with Singapore's best shopping areas.
Article from http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/128786.html
Thursday, October 4, 2007
Singapore's hotel room rates expected to go up by 25% in Q4
By Pamela Almeda, Channel NewsAsia
SINGAPORE: Hotel room rates in Singapore in the fourth quarter are expected to be 25 per cent higher than that of last year, according to industry players.
With some big events expected to hit the calendar next year, including the F1 grand prix, hotel room rates are seen rising even further in 2008.
Tourist arrivals in Singapore have been hitting new highs this year, sending hotel occupancy to nearly 90 per cent.
With demand on the rise, hoteliers have been adjusting their room rates.
Marina Mandarin is seeing a five to eight per cent climb in room bookings for this final quarter of the year. Its meeting rooms are already 80 per cent booked for the rest of 2007.
Charles Tee, executive assistant manager of Marina Mandarin Singapore, said: "Well, Singapore has for the longest time been under-priced in terms of what we're charging for rooms. If you compare (Singapore with) cities like Tokyo, Mumbai, they have really... high rates.
"So we have to really market-adjust this. So on average, I would say that your hotel rate increase will continue to grow in the region of 20 per cent or more."
At Pan Pacific, occupancy levels have reached 84 per cent this year. It has been seeing good growth in its meetings business, and it expects next year to be even better.
Cheryl Ng, PR manager of Pan Pacific Singapore, said: "Singapore has received a lot of attention on an international scale as being a preferred destination for meetings. In particular, there have been a lot of activities happening in Marina Bay such as the integrated resorts, the confirmation of Grand Prix F1 race circuit which will be in the vicinity.
"Because of these reasons and also the hotel renovation which will (be) completed by next year, we expect to receive a high amount of bookings."
Numbers released by the Singapore Tourism Board last week showed that hotel occupancy was almost 90 per cent in August.
There were more than 910,000 tourist arrivals, a record high for the month of August.
SINGAPORE: Hotel room rates in Singapore in the fourth quarter are expected to be 25 per cent higher than that of last year, according to industry players.
With some big events expected to hit the calendar next year, including the F1 grand prix, hotel room rates are seen rising even further in 2008.
Tourist arrivals in Singapore have been hitting new highs this year, sending hotel occupancy to nearly 90 per cent.
With demand on the rise, hoteliers have been adjusting their room rates.
Marina Mandarin is seeing a five to eight per cent climb in room bookings for this final quarter of the year. Its meeting rooms are already 80 per cent booked for the rest of 2007.
Charles Tee, executive assistant manager of Marina Mandarin Singapore, said: "Well, Singapore has for the longest time been under-priced in terms of what we're charging for rooms. If you compare (Singapore with) cities like Tokyo, Mumbai, they have really... high rates.
"So we have to really market-adjust this. So on average, I would say that your hotel rate increase will continue to grow in the region of 20 per cent or more."
At Pan Pacific, occupancy levels have reached 84 per cent this year. It has been seeing good growth in its meetings business, and it expects next year to be even better.
Cheryl Ng, PR manager of Pan Pacific Singapore, said: "Singapore has received a lot of attention on an international scale as being a preferred destination for meetings. In particular, there have been a lot of activities happening in Marina Bay such as the integrated resorts, the confirmation of Grand Prix F1 race circuit which will be in the vicinity.
"Because of these reasons and also the hotel renovation which will (be) completed by next year, we expect to receive a high amount of bookings."
Numbers released by the Singapore Tourism Board last week showed that hotel occupancy was almost 90 per cent in August.
There were more than 910,000 tourist arrivals, a record high for the month of August.
Friday, September 28, 2007
Singapore receives record visitors in August
*** For Singapore itinearies and pictures, visit traveljournal.com.ph.
Singapore said Wednesday a record 911,000 visitors went to the city-state in August, the highest ever for that month.
Last month's arrivals were 4.7 percent higher than last year and were fuelled in part by a record 114,000 visitors from China, surpassing the previous peak of 113,000 recorded in July 2006, the Singapore Tourism Board said.
"August is typically a peak travel month for visitors from China as it coincides with school summer holidays," it said.
Apart from China, arrivals from Indonesia, Australia, Japan and India also contributed to the record-breaking month, it said.
Hotels in the city-state enjoyed average room occupancy of almost 90 percent and earned nearly 160 million Singapore dollars (107 million US) in room revenues last month with average room rates of 198 dollars, the tourism board said.
Lacking natural attractions, Singapore has embarked on a major campaign to spruce up its tourist appeal.
It has plans for new attractions including two casino resorts, expected to open by 2010, and is trying to become an arts and entertainment centre.
It is to host its first Formula One Grand Prix event later next year.
This news is taken from Singapore Tourist.
Singapore said Wednesday a record 911,000 visitors went to the city-state in August, the highest ever for that month.
Last month's arrivals were 4.7 percent higher than last year and were fuelled in part by a record 114,000 visitors from China, surpassing the previous peak of 113,000 recorded in July 2006, the Singapore Tourism Board said.
"August is typically a peak travel month for visitors from China as it coincides with school summer holidays," it said.
Apart from China, arrivals from Indonesia, Australia, Japan and India also contributed to the record-breaking month, it said.
Hotels in the city-state enjoyed average room occupancy of almost 90 percent and earned nearly 160 million Singapore dollars (107 million US) in room revenues last month with average room rates of 198 dollars, the tourism board said.
Lacking natural attractions, Singapore has embarked on a major campaign to spruce up its tourist appeal.
It has plans for new attractions including two casino resorts, expected to open by 2010, and is trying to become an arts and entertainment centre.
It is to host its first Formula One Grand Prix event later next year.
This news is taken from Singapore Tourist.
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
There is a reason why Singapore outdoes Jakarta
-Mustaqim Adamrah
This article is taken from The Jakarta Post.
*** For Singapore pictures and itineraries, visit traveljournal.com.ph.
In Singapore it's quite normal for people, entire families, young and old, to wander the streets, ride a bus or stroll home from work late at night -- because, unlike Jakarta, the city state is a safe place to live and work.
With an area as large as Jakarta, Singapore is home to many ethnicities and nationalities and is relatively safe for tourists.
During a recent three-day visit to learn more of Singapore's tourism board, I noticed a distinct lack of police on the city's streets.
Only during one visit to a close-by neighborhood for common people in Mustafa did I notice a police car with male and female officers in it.
I thought perhaps Singaporeans did not need to be protected by police officers anymore, or perhaps it was Singapore itself that had become a safe haven for most people.
But what I believe to be true is that the law enforcement in Singapore is the real deal.
A Singaporean told me if you speed, you'll get a ticket. And Singaporean police do not deal with you directly.
If a vehicle hits someone crossing a pedestrian crossing, the driver will face prison.
If you cross a road while the light for pedestrians is still red, you will face fine.
If you litter, the next thing you will face is prison.
But despite these incredible contrasts, Singapore does have some similarities with Jakarta.
Our beloved Jakarta is, like Singapore, home to many embassies and expatriates, as well as families who have moved from Indonesia's regions to the capital.
But the similarities do not include security -- personal safety at night in Jakarta is always questionable.
Jakartans -- particularly women -- will not take the risk of being outside past midnight without a companion, lest they become a victim of sexual harassment or other criminal activities.
The city administration's fantasy is to shape Jakarta to something comparable with other Asian cities, including Singapore, Tokyo and Seoul.
Jakarta's administration also hopes to entice tourists to come here, although it seems to have forgotten one thing -- security, a principal thought for sensible holidaymakers.
Regardless of its nighttime scenery or how bedazzled holidaymakers may become by delightfully packaged tours, sensibility usually reigns supreme and tourists commonly withdraw their intention to visit the big durian, because Jakarta is unsafe.
Most people do not make a holiday trip to see a war scene, do they?
In addition, other countries continue to impose travel warnings for Indonesia, which see tourist numbers perpetually dwindle.
For example, the number of tourist arrivals in Jakarta slumped to the lowest point in 1999 to 981,183 as a result of political and financial crises.
Numbers are slowly rising and figures reached 1,235,514 in 2005.
The Indonesian government and its administration should have been able to work hand-in-hand to improve security, particularly in Jakarta.
And these bodies should also have developed the tourism sector and promoted Indonesia, or Jakarta in this case, more aggressively.
The government did promote Indonesian overseas several times by managing tourism exhibitions, for example, in China -- but figures suggest this project did not cement in people's minds how fabulous Indonesia is as a tourist destination.
Meanwhile, each region -- for instance Yogyakarta -- promotes itself as a tourism destination, without including Jakarta and without advertising the rest of the archipelago.
Singapore has a tourism office in Indonesia, but Indonesia does not have an office there. Clever Singapore knows Indonesia is a huge market for its tourism sector.
According to the Singapore Tourism Board, 1.9 million Indonesians made up 20 percent of the 9.7 million tourists that visited Singapore last year. And these tourists spent an average of S$800 (US$520) per person.
Singapore's tourism board says the number of Indonesian visitors to its city has increased between 2 and 4 percent annually over the last three years.
I believe more foreign tourists would come to Indonesia if only the administration, and of course the government, would develop the tourism sector and, most importantly, give tourists the assurance they will be safe on arrival and throughout their stay.
This article is taken from The Jakarta Post.
*** For Singapore pictures and itineraries, visit traveljournal.com.ph.
In Singapore it's quite normal for people, entire families, young and old, to wander the streets, ride a bus or stroll home from work late at night -- because, unlike Jakarta, the city state is a safe place to live and work.
With an area as large as Jakarta, Singapore is home to many ethnicities and nationalities and is relatively safe for tourists.
During a recent three-day visit to learn more of Singapore's tourism board, I noticed a distinct lack of police on the city's streets.
Only during one visit to a close-by neighborhood for common people in Mustafa did I notice a police car with male and female officers in it.
I thought perhaps Singaporeans did not need to be protected by police officers anymore, or perhaps it was Singapore itself that had become a safe haven for most people.
But what I believe to be true is that the law enforcement in Singapore is the real deal.
A Singaporean told me if you speed, you'll get a ticket. And Singaporean police do not deal with you directly.
If a vehicle hits someone crossing a pedestrian crossing, the driver will face prison.
If you cross a road while the light for pedestrians is still red, you will face fine.
If you litter, the next thing you will face is prison.
But despite these incredible contrasts, Singapore does have some similarities with Jakarta.
Our beloved Jakarta is, like Singapore, home to many embassies and expatriates, as well as families who have moved from Indonesia's regions to the capital.
But the similarities do not include security -- personal safety at night in Jakarta is always questionable.
Jakartans -- particularly women -- will not take the risk of being outside past midnight without a companion, lest they become a victim of sexual harassment or other criminal activities.
The city administration's fantasy is to shape Jakarta to something comparable with other Asian cities, including Singapore, Tokyo and Seoul.
Jakarta's administration also hopes to entice tourists to come here, although it seems to have forgotten one thing -- security, a principal thought for sensible holidaymakers.
Regardless of its nighttime scenery or how bedazzled holidaymakers may become by delightfully packaged tours, sensibility usually reigns supreme and tourists commonly withdraw their intention to visit the big durian, because Jakarta is unsafe.
Most people do not make a holiday trip to see a war scene, do they?
In addition, other countries continue to impose travel warnings for Indonesia, which see tourist numbers perpetually dwindle.
For example, the number of tourist arrivals in Jakarta slumped to the lowest point in 1999 to 981,183 as a result of political and financial crises.
Numbers are slowly rising and figures reached 1,235,514 in 2005.
The Indonesian government and its administration should have been able to work hand-in-hand to improve security, particularly in Jakarta.
And these bodies should also have developed the tourism sector and promoted Indonesia, or Jakarta in this case, more aggressively.
The government did promote Indonesian overseas several times by managing tourism exhibitions, for example, in China -- but figures suggest this project did not cement in people's minds how fabulous Indonesia is as a tourist destination.
Meanwhile, each region -- for instance Yogyakarta -- promotes itself as a tourism destination, without including Jakarta and without advertising the rest of the archipelago.
Singapore has a tourism office in Indonesia, but Indonesia does not have an office there. Clever Singapore knows Indonesia is a huge market for its tourism sector.
According to the Singapore Tourism Board, 1.9 million Indonesians made up 20 percent of the 9.7 million tourists that visited Singapore last year. And these tourists spent an average of S$800 (US$520) per person.
Singapore's tourism board says the number of Indonesian visitors to its city has increased between 2 and 4 percent annually over the last three years.
I believe more foreign tourists would come to Indonesia if only the administration, and of course the government, would develop the tourism sector and, most importantly, give tourists the assurance they will be safe on arrival and throughout their stay.
Friday, September 7, 2007
Singapore breaks ground for Formula One building
*** For Singapore pictures and itineraries, visit www.traveljournal.com.ph.
SINGAPORE, Aug 31 (Reuters) - Singapore broke ground on Friday for a Formula One building that will host what is set to be the world's first street grand prix to be held at night.
The Southeast Asian city-state won a five-year deal in May to host a street grand prix in the heart of its business district with the first race scheduled for Sept. 28, 2008.
The planned building -- currently an undeveloped muddy field surrounded by trees and a highway -- would house 36 garages for 12 grand prix teams, the Singapore Tourism Board said.
Singapore, which wants to woo more tourists to the country to boost its services sector, is building a string of tourist attractions, including a casino and the world's largest Ferris wheel in its business district.
"We look forward to the sound of race engines roaring to life," Lim Hng Kiang, Singapore's trade minister said at the ground breaking ceremony, before sticking a gold-coloured shovel in a sand box to mark the occasion.
Lim said he was confident that Singapore could stage a night race as planned, although that was subjected to the approval of the FIA, the international governing body for motorsports.
Several F1 drivers have spoken against the idea of a night race, citing safety concerns such as poor visibility, especially during rainy weather.
News taken from: Singapore breaks ground for Formula One building
SINGAPORE, Aug 31 (Reuters) - Singapore broke ground on Friday for a Formula One building that will host what is set to be the world's first street grand prix to be held at night.
The Southeast Asian city-state won a five-year deal in May to host a street grand prix in the heart of its business district with the first race scheduled for Sept. 28, 2008.
The planned building -- currently an undeveloped muddy field surrounded by trees and a highway -- would house 36 garages for 12 grand prix teams, the Singapore Tourism Board said.
Singapore, which wants to woo more tourists to the country to boost its services sector, is building a string of tourist attractions, including a casino and the world's largest Ferris wheel in its business district.
"We look forward to the sound of race engines roaring to life," Lim Hng Kiang, Singapore's trade minister said at the ground breaking ceremony, before sticking a gold-coloured shovel in a sand box to mark the occasion.
Lim said he was confident that Singapore could stage a night race as planned, although that was subjected to the approval of the FIA, the international governing body for motorsports.
Several F1 drivers have spoken against the idea of a night race, citing safety concerns such as poor visibility, especially during rainy weather.
News taken from: Singapore breaks ground for Formula One building
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