Business | Tourism
Singapore Airlines offers special deal to Mideast tourists
Malaysia and Singapore expect tourist traffic from the Middle East to rise 28 per cent this year, from close to 400,000 visitors in 2007 to 510,000 in 2008, officials said.
- By Cleofe Maceda, Staff Reporter
- Published: 00:01 September 15, 2008
Dubai: Malaysia and Singapore expect tourist traffic from the Middle East to rise 28 per cent this year, from close to 400,000 visitors in 2007 to 510,000 in 2008, officials said.
The two countries announced yesterday they have teamed up with Sing-apore Airlines to offer an exclusive travel deal for Middle East travellers to enjoy both destinations in one package.
Valid only until November this year, the five-day, four-night "twin city" package costs Dh2,490 and covers airfare and hotel accommodations in Singapore and Malaysia.
Jason Ong, Area Director for Middle East and Africa, Singapore Tourism Board, said the promotion coupled with the country hosting the Formula One race and a host of other tourism events, will increase tourist arrivals from the UAE to grow from 41,000 last year to 50,000 this year.
"The UAE is our biggest market. Overall, we expect some 110,000 visitors from the Middle East for this year. In 2007, we received 98,608 tourists from this market," Ong told Gulf News.
Likewise, Malaysia expects tourist arrivals from the UAE alone to increase from 38,000 in 2007 to 45,000, this year.
"The UAE is our second biggest market next to Saudi Arabia. For the whole Middle East and North Africa region, we are expecting 400,000 tourists this year, a significant increase from 300,000 in 2007," Tuan Razali Tuan Omar, director for Tourism Malaysia, told Gulf News.
Tourism officials said travellers from the Middle East have shown growing interest in the two South-East Asian countries, as both destinations offer a family-friendly environment and strong cultural links.
They also attributed the increase in traffic to 'value-for-money' packages.
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