Singapore draws Chinese tourists who spend more

The Merlion is a landmark of Singapore.[Photo provided to China Daily]

The Singapore Tourism Board and China Tourism Academy recently finished the Research of Market Recognition of Chinese Outbound Visitors to Singapore and their Tour Evaluations and unveiled the full report in the fourth annual TravelRave, one of Asia's most influential travel and tourism festivals, at the end of October in Singapore.

China is Singapore's second-largest visitor market, and Chinese visitors became the biggest spenders in the country last year, overtaking the Indonesians for the first time.

The report shows that the Chinese visit Singapore for diverse reasons, such as leisure, meeting and exhibition planning, high-end bespoke tours and medical tours. The majority still goes for leisure.

According to the board, more Chinese tourists are choosing free and independent and in-depth tours in Singapore. They are confident that more Chinese will visit Singapore because they say Chinese visitors want to experience the local lifestyle and know more about the destination rather than have tours around the landmarks and take photographs. Therefore, it's important to meet the demands of the visitors such as improving Singapore's tourist service, developing new scenic spots and offering a rich tour experience.

The research shows that Chinese like to visit Gardens by the Bay, Sentosa island resort, the Singapore River and the Singapore Flyer. They also love scenic spots with cultural heritages such as Sri Veeramakaliamman Temple, the Kampong Glam neighborhood, the Katong/Joo Chiat area, Chinatown and Ann Siang Hill.

Many Chinese tourists are fond of bak kut teh (pork ribs soup) and Hainanese chicken rice, and they speak highly of Singapore's tour agencies, the Singapore airport and the residents' hospitality.

Although many Singaporeans speak Chinese, the report shows that Chinese tourists have difficulty getting proper Chinese language services at scenic spots and hotels.