A high-level economic official of Singapore Friday reaffirmed that his country targets to achieve one million annual visitor arrivals from China by 2005.

While responding a question at the parliament, Senior Parliamentary Secretary of the Ministry of Trade and Industry Tang Guan Seng said: "Due largely to China's strong internal economy, the STB (Singapore Tourism Board) targets to achieve one million PRC (the People's Republic of China) visitor arrivals to Singapore by 2005."

This will place PRC as one of Singapore's largest tourism market and Singapore intends to tap this market to the fullest extent possible, he added.

Tang drew attention to the fact that PRC tourist arrivals to Singapore during the Asian financial crisis continued to grow at double-digit level and in the wake of September 11 incident PRC tourist arrivals to Singapore registered an increase of 12.87 percent during the period from September 11 to 27 compared to the same period of last year, he added.

On steps being taken to tap China tourism market, he said that STB is working closely with other government agencies on increasing airlinks between Singapore and China, more streamlined visa procedures and setting up more offices in China to promote Singapore, noting the quantum of the Bankers' Guarantee has been lowered for the 96-hour Collective Gratis Visa.

He also said that STB will work closely with local industry members as well as neighboring countries to conduct collective marketing and develop new products for the China market.

China is currently the sixth largest visitor-generating market for Singapore that received more than 400,000 visitors from China last year.

(People's Daily 10/06/2001)