SingaporescoresearlywininraceforreturnofChinesetourists:Bloomberg_GuangmingOnlineSINGAPORE,March21(Xinhua)--Singaporereceivedover327,000visitorsfromtheChinesemainlandinFebruary,about96percentofthelevelin2019,distinguishedfromglobaltourismawaitingthereturnofChinesetourists,accordingtoarecentstorypublishedbyBloomberg.TherecoveryinSingapore'stourismoutpacedgainsinneighboringmarkets,withThailand'stourismataround63percentofpre-pandemiclevelsinFebruaryandIndonesia'satabout48percentinthelatestquarter,thearticlesaid.VisitorsfromChinatoEuropeareexpectedtobeabout40percentlowerthanthenumberin2019,whilethetotalarrivalsfromChinaintheUnitedStatesthisyearwillbe73percentofpre-COVIDlevels,accordingtothearticle.ThestorynotedthatSingapore'sdecisiontodropvisarequirementsforvisitorsfromChina,itsfocusonsafety,anditspushintouniqueculturalandentertainmenteventspositionedittobenefitfromChinesetourists.Growingairlinksbringthetwocountriescloser.ThescheduledseatcapacitybetweenChinaandSingaporeisexpectedtoreach101percentofthe2019levelinthefirstquarterthisyear,leadingtoarecoveryamongkeyoutboundtravelmarketsinChina.Chinesetouristsarealsospendingmore.DatafromTrip.comshowstheaverageoutlaypervisittoSingaporeforexpenseslikeflightsandhotelsrose30percentfromayearearlier.Singapore'sfocusonsafetyhashelpedrevivepost-COVIDtravel.ItremainsatopdrawforChinesetravelerswhoconsidercrimeoneoftheirmainconcerns.Also,thestrongculturaltiesbetweenChinaandSingaporemakethecountrymorecomfortableandalluringforChinesevisitors.SingaporeisalsorollingouteventsthatwouldappealtoyoungChinesepeople,suchasTaylorSwift'slastshow.ThearticlesaidSwift'spopularitysparkedaninfluxofforeignvisitorsandpromptedeconomiststoraisetheirforecastsforSingapore'seconomicperformance.■Editor:DisclaimerTheviewsandopinionsexpressedinthisarticlearethoseoftheauthor's,GMW.cnmakesnorepresentationsastoaccuracy,suitability,orvalidityofanyinformationonthissiteandwillnotbeliableforanyerrors,omissions,ordelaysinthisinformation.