Singapore Tourism Board is looking to take the filmy route to make the country’s tourist spots popular here and maximise its tourism potential.
Speaking at the Media Round Table of Singapore Tourism Board, G.B. Srithar, regional director (South Asia, Middle East and Africa) said, “When films are shot in a country — in this case, Singapore — it will play a great role in improving the perception of the country, leaving a good impression on potential travellers.”
“In the past, films like MGR’s Ulagam Suttrum Valiban and Kamal Haasan-Rajnikanth starrer Ninaithale Inikkum were shot. Recently, we had a tie up for the film Dear Zindagi, a Bollywood film, that was shot in Singapore ,” he said.
“ We think such initiatives will improve the emotional connect and attract more travellers to Singapore,” he added.
Shoot permits
Mr. Srithar said the board, though will not give any direct grants, will facilitate shoot permissions and accommodation.
While India has emerged as the fourth largest nation in terms of tourist arrivals in Singapore, Chennai stands second in India after Mumbai on the number of tourists visiting Singapore.
“Proximity is one of the major reasons why Chennai has a lot of people visiting Singapore. That apart, people also prefer it because of the air connectivity and atmosphere there. Not just Singapore, a lot of Indians are interested in exploring South East Asia and many even travel beyond all the way to Australia and New Zealand,” he said.
Among the tier II cities, Tiruchi is being focussed by Singapore Tourism Board to improve its tourism.
Adrien Kong of Singapore Tourism Board said that Indians spend quite a bit on the accommodation when they visit as tourists.
Of the number of Indians visiting Singapore, 60% are tourists and the remaining 40% travel for business.
