Singapore overnight stay for US$1,it is official

A ONE-NIGHT stopover in Singapore for just US$1 ($1.50), with $10 vouchers to shop at Changi Airport and free admissions to Sentosa, the zoo and other tourist attractions to boot.

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As the economic crisis takes its toll on air traffic, Singapore Airlines (SIA) is teaming up with Changi Airport and the Singapore Tourism Board to give business — and tourism — a booster shot.

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From today till Sept 30, SIA customers stopping over in Singapore will pay a special rate of US$1 to US$40 for a night’s stay at selected hotels. Called the Fabulous Singapore Stopover Package, the promotion includes other goodies such as a free prepaid mobile card, free airport transfers and dining discounts.

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The promotion will give those already contemplating a holiday “the extra push to travel with SIA and stop over in Singapore”, said Mr Huang Cheng Eng, the airline’s executive vice-president for marketing and the regions.

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SIA spokesman Stephen Forshaw said the cost of the promotion will be “shared by the parties according to an agreed formula”.

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Passenger traffic on SIA fell 17 per cent in February from a year ago to a load factor of 69.7 per cent, largely in line with the 15-per-cent decline in visitor arrivals to Singapore in the same month to 689,000.

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Will the bold promotion help arrest the slide? Tourism studies professor Joan Henderson said such an effort could help boost demand in the short term.

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But “long term recovery will be heavily dependent on economic improvements globally”, said Associate Prof Henderson, who teaches at Nanyang Technological University.

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Opportunities in domestic tourism have surfaced. Some hotels here have been wooing locals with special rates and offerings, she added.

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Changi Airport’s recent campaigns targeting shoppers are also paying off, with average sales rising 30 per cent since the GST-free promotion was launched on Feb 26, according to the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore.

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Five-dollar coupons have been given to shoppers who spend at least $30 in Terminal 3’s public area, while its “Beat the Recession” promotion offers a chance to win shopping vouchers at the departure transit malls.

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A tenant at Changi Airport told Today that since the slump nine months ago, business has improved by 15 per cent.

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“I see people buying more because the vouchers come with no terms and conditions attached. There have been more crowds, especially during weekends,” said Ms Annie Tjiang, supervisor of snacks retailer Chng Kee Spice of Life.