Singapore pulls ahead in Southeast Asia’s race to win back Chinese tourists
- The number of Chinese tourists visiting the city state has nearly returned to pre-pandemic levels, outpacing the recovery in Thailand and Indonesia
- Visa exemptions helped. Singapore is also one of the few countries where China is viewed positively, research indicates – and the feeling’s reciprocal
For Madam Zhuo, a native of Xiamen who was visiting her daughter and 10-year-old grandson, comfort is part of Singapore’s allure. The city where her family moved a year ago is much more accessible than other countries, she said, with more than 70 per cent of residents being ethnic Chinese.
“Singapore is very urban, very clean, very expensive,” Zhuo said while walking through Merlion Park, home to the eponymous statue and a prime beneficiary of the travel boom. “Sometimes it feels like China. I can get around in [using] Mandarin and Hokkien.”
“This is a good indication of increased interest from Chinese travellers in visiting Singapore following the implementation of mutual visa-free travel,” said Edmund Ong, the general manager of Trip.com Singapore. “Not only are visitor numbers going up, the average expenditure per traveller is also rising.”
Singapore is also rolling out activities for more westernised Chinese young adults.
Both Yu and Zhuo took direct flights, which are available daily from their cities. Economic headwinds in China and more expensive fares haven’t deterred demand for travel to Singapore.
While air links to most parts of the world from China were disrupted by Covid and are still largely missing, China and Singapore remain well connected. The scheduled seat capacity between the two countries is expected to recover to 101 per cent of 2019 levels in the first quarter of this year, leading recovery among key China outbound travel markets.
“The Singapore-China market advantage is that it is quite well diversified,” said Lim Ching Kiat, executive vice-president, air hub and cargo development at Changi Airport. On top of business and government travel, many people cross the border for family visits, he said.
“Singapore is always seen as a trusted and reliable partner of the Chinese government and the Chinese people,” said Chin-Hao Huang, associate professor of political science at NUS Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy and Yale-NUS College.
The congenial bilateral relations between China and Singapore have trickled down to cross-cultural interactions in daily life, making the city more comfortable and alluring for visitors.
Singapore is one of the few countries where China is viewed positively, according to a Pew Research Centre report. The feeling is reciprocal, something Huang attributes to two nations’ strong cultural ties.
Zhuo’s experience echoes the history.
“I walked around the city myself,” she said, after dropping off her grandson. “People are very friendly.”