Singapore braced for F1 tourism boost
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Singapore can expect to welcome a surge of visitors during this weekend’s Formula One Grand Prix weekend.
According to a new data report by Amadeus and ForwardKeys, travel bookings to Singapore for the 2013 race weekend increased 12.6% compared to the corresponding period last year. This marks a recovery from the 2012 event, which saw arrivals shrink by 1.9% compared to 2011.
And Amadeus said that the city-state can expect an even greater tourism boost this year, with a last-minute booking surge also expected. The 12.6% growth only took into account bookings made up until 1 September 2013, while last year 30% of the total bookings were made in the three weeks prior to the race.
This year’s night race has been given a boost as it corresponds with the Mid-Autumn Festival public holidays in China and Korea. As such, Hong Kong has become the top source market for visitors to Singapore this weekend, up 37% year-on-year, and pushing London into second place. Bookings from Seoul have soared 241% year-on-year, driving it to third place in the rankings.
In terms of countries however, Australia is the biggest source market, rising 17% and overtaking the UK as the primary source country. Indonesia was third.
“The sharp growth in the number of visitors flocking to Singapore for the F1 race underscores the significance of the event for the city’s tourism industry. Travel providers will do well to take note of changing traveller behaviours, such as the increasing propensity for travellers to book last minute, to fully leverage the opportunities present,” said Angel Gallego, president of Amadeus Asia Pacific.
While Thursday 19 September and Friday 20 September are the peak arrival days, the data shows the biggest growth (+29%) in arrivals on Wednesday 18 September. This suggests that the F1 weekend is starting earlier than before.
As well as the practice sessions, qualifying and race, the Singapore F1 weekend includes a major concert, with performers this year including Rihanna, The Killers and Tom Jones.
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