SINGAPORE: Singapore has maintained its pole
position as Asia's top convention city for the 10th consecutive
year, according to the latest global rankings by the International
Congress and Convention Association.
Singapore also retained its spot as the only Asian
city in the top five convention cities in the world alongside
Vienna, Barcelona, Paris and Berlin, since 2006.
Singapore welcomed a record 13.2 million visitors
last year. Business visitors formed 24 per cent of total
visitorship to Singapore, with the number of business visitors
rising 2.6 per cent to 3.2 million.
Expenditure by these business travellers increased by 4.1 per cent
to an estimated S$5.6 billion, or 25 percent of total tourism
receipts.
The Meetings, Incentives, Conventions and Exhibitions (MICE)
industry saw a 46 per cent year-on-year growth in the number of
conventions, conferences and trade shows held in Singapore last
year.
Singapore Tourism Board's assistant chief executive, Neeta
Lachmandas, said: "Our success can be attributed to several
factors: a vibrant eco-system that nurtures business events of
exceptional quality, the dynamic growth in Asia, and most
importantly, the dedication of our MICE industry partners.
"Looking ahead, Singapore aims to continue leveraging the growing
opportunities in Asia and our strong knowledge network to further
strengthen our position as a preferred MICE destination.
"Singapore strives to differentiate itself by co-creating and
developing a strong network of business events within Singapore's
key priority industries.
"Through close collaboration with professional industry partners
and sustained efforts to develop the capabilities of Singapore's
key industry clusters such as biomedical and healthcare; infocomm
technologies; environment and energy; and banking and finance, STB
serves to attract and develop flagship MICE events of international
standing that reinforce Singapore's attractiveness as a leading
MICE city."
Inaugural events staged in Singapore last year included Cruise
Shipping Asia, International Air Transport Association (IATA)
Global Aviation Human Capital Summit and ScreenSingapore.
Singapore will host 17 new world congresses from 2012 till
2016.
These include the 52nd ACI World Congress in 2013, the World
Federation of Engineering Organisations Congress 2013, the 36th
World Diamond Congress in 2013 and the International Congress of
the World Confederation for Physical Therapy 2015.
- CNA/al