Singapore: a strange brew

Ravi Philemon >> TOC Lifestyle

Singapore has been listed alongside cities in America and Europe as one of the “top (ten) cities” to visit in 2010 by Lonely Planet – an internationally acclaimed travel guide.

The publication “The Best in Travel 2010” is Lonely Planet’s fifth annual collection of best places to go and best things to do in the year ahead. Published this week”, it asks its readers to “ditch the image of Singapore as a dull, sterile Utopia – (to) scratch the surface and…discover a strange brew of Chinese, Malay, Indian and Western cultures, a rich social stew that’s anything but boring”.

The Online Citizen asked Singapore Tourism Board (STB) how STB felt about Singapore being listed alongside other vibrant cities like Istanbul (Turkey), Vancouver (Canada), Charleston (USA) and Kyoto (Japan) and if this listing will help to bring in more visitors to Singapore.

Mr Chang Chee Pey, STB’s Director of Brand Management responded to TOC’s questions saying, “To be named one of the top ten cities to visit in 2010 by reputed travel guru Lonely Planet is telling of Singapore growing into a global city with a variety of world class tourism offerings. The Singapore Tourism Board (STB) hopes this will encourage more potential visitors to come experience Singapore for themselves, especially in 2010, when Singapore will host mega events such as the Singapore 2010 Youth Olympic Games and the FORUMLA ONE SINGAPORE GRAND PRIX, and celebrate the opening of integrated resorts Resorts World Sentosa and Marina Bay SandsTM.”

The cities in the Lonely Planet’s top ten besides Singapore are: Cuenca (Ecuador), Sarajevo (Bosnia & Hercegovina), Abu Dhabi (United Arab Emirates), Kyoto (Japan), Lecce (Italy), Cork (Ireland), Vancouver (Canada), Istanbul (Turkey), and Charleston (USA). If this listing will entice more tourists to visit Singapore, it will surely bring much cheer to the economy of Singapore, which is already showing signs of picking-up.