More reasons to head down south

OF the total number of visitors to Singapore, 40.3 per cent come from Southeast Asia. Of this, 11.9 per cent are Malaysians. The fact that Singapore is just a drive across the causeway is one of the many factors why Malaysians love to go there.

“They go to Singapore for dining, shopping and entertainment. In fact, the number of tourists from Malaysia has been on the rise,” says Mastercard Worldwide head of marketing (Southeast Asia) Debbie Goldingham.

To further enhance perks for Malaysian visitors, Singapore Tourism Board (STB) has created Your-Singapore Live website which offers information on concerts, shows and musicals, restaurant openings, exhibitions and other lifestyle offerings.

STB has also tied up with Mastercard, Showbiz Asia, Expedia and AirAsia as part of the recently launched Only In Singapore, Right Now programme.

“Mastercard started working with STB when it was doing a consumer insight research in terms of what Indonesians, Malaysians and tourists from Southeast Asia want. This has evolved into a platform of information for tourists from Malaysia,” adds Goldingham.

So what does the programme entail?

“We have revolving offers and experiences. We connect with consumers through ‘passions’ — retail, entertainment, dining and shopping,” she says.

“For instance, a Mastercard holder can go to any show four times in a year. You can get VIP backstage passes and seat upgrades at discounted rates.”

How much does the average Malaysian spend in Singapore?

  “We can’t share data that we have but there’s a growth in the number of Malaysians coming to Singapore either for a day trip, or a night, for dinner, etc so it is definitely on the rise,” she says.

“As a Mastercard holder, you can enjoy more shopping hours, buy tickets before they go on sale to the public, preview an attraction that’s coming up. The list is endless.”

In the coming months, visitors can expect international acts like The Script, Julio Iglesias and Deep Purple while Grammy legends Robert Plant of Led Zeppelin, Paul Simon, Bonnie Raitt and Jimmy Cliff will rock it out at Timbre Rock and Roots, a home-grown blues festival.

For theatre, keep a watch out for hot musical Dirty Dancing and locally produced Glass Anatomy, a musical featuring Taiwanese songstress, Della Ding Dang.

  There’s also the greatly anticipated opening of the River Safari in the first half of this year. Spanning 12 hectares, it will be home to one of the world’s largest collections of freshwater aquatic animals.

To mark the launch of Only In Singapore, Right Now, STB has partnered AirAsia to offer 27,000 free seats (airport taxes and fees apply) from Kuala Lumpur to Singapore. Every Wednesday, 9,000 free AirAsia seats will be available for booking through the YourSingapore Live website. Booking runs until March 27 for travel in April and May.

  Sweetening the deal a little more for Malaysians is a 10 per cent discount on all Singapore accommodation bookings offered by STB travel partner, Expedia. This offer is only valid for bookings made through the same website. Shuib Taib

 

More reasons to head down south