Singapore tourism reaches record levels

Singapore welcomed a record 11.6 million visitors last year, up 20 percent from 2009, thanks to the lure of its two new Casinos and robust Asian economic growth, the tourism board said Thursday.

Visitors from Indonesia, China, Australia, Malaysia and India accounted for more than half last year's arrivals, the Singapore Tourism Board said in a statement. Arrivals from other Southeast Asian neighbours like the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam as well as Hong Kong, Taiwan and South Korea also grew strongly.

The board and analysts said the buoyant figures were driven by "positive economic sentiment" in the region and the opening of two luxury casino resorts in 2010.

Source: The Independent