SINGAPORE, May 5 (Xinhua) -- Before the epidemic, China was one of Singapore's largest sources of tourists. On the first May Day holiday after the epidemic, Singapore once again ushered in new wave of Chinese tourists.
Zhang Yan, head of China region of Singapore Chan Brothers Travel Pte Ltd, one of the largest local travel agencies in Singapore, shared the new changes of Chinese tourists returning to Singapore during the May Day holiday this year and the impact on the local tourism economy in an interview with Xinhua News Agency.
More Chinese tourists prefer self-guided tours to Singapore, Zhang said, adding that this can be attributed to China's well-developed Internet and Singapore's complete infrastructure.
During the May Day holiday this year, in addition to traditional popular attractions such as Universal Studios and Sentosa, young Chinese tourists also began to explore more local Internet-famous attractions, including the local historical site Bukit Timah Railway Station, the historic Fort Canning Park, and some museums.
According to Zhang, Chinese tourists also went to the local Internet-famous restaurants, and some of these high-end restaurants are relatively expensive, showing Chinese tourists' great consumption potential.
High-end hotels in Singapore, such as Shangri-La Hotel and Sands Hotel, saw booming business during the May Day holiday, with about 70 percent of their guests being Chinese tourists.
Chinese tourists also went shopping on Orchard Road, where there are many famous brands, Zhang added.
The returning of Chinese tourists has a positive effect on the income growth of Singapore's tourism industry and has driven the development of related industries, including the aviation industry, hospitality industry, catering industry, etc.
In addition, study tours from China are becoming a major focus of Singapore's tourism industry, Zhang added. (Contributed by Liu Chuntao, edited by Li Shimeng with Xinhua Silk Road, lishimeng@xinhua.org)
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