THE latest Singapore’s Overseas Visitors Survey (OVS) reveals that business travellers in 2010 made up around 27 per cent of the country’s 11.6 million visitor arrivals and an estimated 40 per cent of total expenditure.
This represents increases of 21.4 per cent and 27.5 per cent respectively over 2009, marking a broad-based recovery for Singapore.
A dramatically transformed landscape provides the stage for this resurgence with 108 new and inaugural business events held last year and event attendance growing at an average of 15 to 20 per cent.
Identified by the World Bank as the world’s easiest place to do business for the fifth consecutive year in 2011 the destination also clinched the Union of International Associations’ (UIA) Top International Meetings City title. Affirming Singapore’s growing status as a thought leader and knowledge capital, the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE), in collaboration with Messe Berlin, Ace:Daytons Direct and Suntec Singapore, with the support of the Singapore Tourism Board, participated in the Associations Day at ITB Asia and at this year’s Imex.
The inaugural ITB event in 2010 saw a turnout of 103 participants hailing from 18 different countries, 70 of them association members as well as more than 20 trade partners. The event was a clear success, with participants expressing satisfaction with the strong content presented by international speakers and panellists from the association.
“We are proud to have ASAE as a strategic knowledge partner,” said Melissa Ow, the assistant chief executive for industry development at the Singapore Tourism Board (STB).
“Associations Day provides an excellent platform to share ASAE’s insights and wealth of experience, benefitting not only members and association executives from around the world, but also convention bureaus and Mice partners in the region. As a leading knowledge hub for the Asia-Pacific region, Singapore looks forward to welcoming ASAE members and other delegates.”
The group will also take part in Associations Day at TravelRave 2011, Asia’s mega travel and tourism festival. TravelRave brings together the entire spectrum of players and business events in the travel and tourism value chain, from travel trade and investment, to leadership forums and awards. This year’s TravelRave will take place from October 17 to 23.