SINGAPORE, March 1 (Xinhua) -- The Singaporean government will provide more than 300 million Singapore dollars (223 million U.S. dollars) to intensify competition in the tourism sector, Alvin Tan, minister of state for trade and industry, told Parliament Friday.

The capital injection will support the local tourism industry in developing new intellectual properties, rejuvenating existing tourism offerings, and lifting the skills of tourism workers, Tan said during a debate on the budget this year.

He noted that the mutual 30-day visa exemptions between China and Singapore starting on Feb. 9 was good news for the tourism industry.

"We expect this to boost arrivals and spending across tourism-related sectors. The longer visa exemptions also made it more convenient for Singaporeans to visit China for leisure and business," Tan said.

Singapore received 13.6 million international visitor arrivals in 2023. The Singaporean government expects the number this year to reach 15 million to 16 million, bringing in 26 billion to 27.5 billion Singapore dollars in tourism revenue. Enditem

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