Business | Tourism
Singapore expects fall in visitors from Middle East
Tourism officials visit Dubai to create interest in Formula One race to be held in the city at night during Ramadan.
- By Cleofe Maceda, Staff Reporter
- Published: 23:44 August 28, 2008
- Image Credit: Bloomberg News
- The Singapore Tourism Board expects the Formula One race to generate Dh12.9 million in additional tourism receipts from Middle East visitors. Organisers said 40,000 of each day’s 100,000 tickets were purchased by foreign buyers.
Dubai: The Singapore Tourism Board is expecting tourist traffic from the Middle East to slow down a bit in September due to Ramadan, an official said yesterday.
Representatives of the Singapore Tourism Board were in Dubai yesterday to offer a sneak preview of the inaugural 2008 Formula One (F1) race in Singapore, which is expected to boost the city's standing in the international tourism map. The race will be held at night, the first time in F1 history, from September 26 to 28.
According to Jason Ong, Singapore Tourism Board area director for the Middle East and Africa, the race will likely generate Dh12.9 million in additional tourism receipts from Middle East travellers.
Slow period
"We know that the race is going to clash with Ram-adan, which is normally a slow period for us, so we are not doing very large-scale activities to promote F1 race this year. But there will be some travel," Ong told Gulf News.
"The whole F1 race is going to generate S$100 million as additional revenue for us. Hopefully, five per cent of that will come from the Middle East," Ong added.
Ong said they expect the number of Middle East tourists to increase by five per cent in the succeeding edition of the race next year, when the F1 calendar will not clash with Ram-adan.
During the first six months of the year, Singapore received 55,000 visitors from the Middle East, an 18 per cent increase over the same period last year.
Singapore has won the rights to host the F1 event from this year for five years. Organisers said more than 95 per cent of the tickets have already been sold, with 40,000 of each day's 100,000 tickets were purchased by buyers outside Singapore.
Ong said the race is till creating a buzz of excitement among racing enthusiasts - both expatriates and local residents -- in the Middle East.
"We know there's quite a big F1 fan base here. I met some consumers and they're quite keen about the race. There's a huge expatriate community here and we do target them in our media campaigns," said Ong.
Business Editor's choice
-
‘Wrong Way' Krugman
The source of our economic malfunction lies with government-mandated bank regulations
-
Greek exit could make Eurozone stronger
Departure will show limits of bailouts and allow remaining members to act much more like a unit
-
UAE upholds values of free trade
Recently released statistics confirm an established fact, namely that of the UAE embracing the free trade principle in general and imports in particular
