The Singapore Tourism Board (STB) is opening an office in Surabaya, the second largest city in Indonesia and the second largest source of arrivals from Indonesia to Singapore after Jakarta.
This is STB’s 21st office. It last opened an office in 2007, in Moscow.
Surabaya
STB said the office will enable the board “to better consolidate and scale up its resources as well as sharpen its focus to tap into markets of Eastern Java (including Surabaya and Malang), Bali and Sulawesi (including Makassar)”.
Arrivals from the East Indonesian cities of Surabaya, Malang, Bali and Makassar totalled 234,300 in 2016, which comprised more than eight per cent of total Indonesian arrivals to Singapore in the same year. The compounded average growth rate of arrivals from these four cities from 2011 to 2016 is 6.5 per cent.
The tourism board plans to work with the six airlines with direct flights between Surabaya and Singapore to launch joint promotions. The six airlines are Singapore Airlines, SilkAir, Garuda Indonesia, Jetstar, China Airlines and Tigerair.
Indonesia is Singapore’s top source of arrivals with 2.9 million visitors last year.
STB shared that visitors from Surabaya are, like those from Jakarta, mostly repeaters looking for quick and easy getaways. They are keen on shopping, entertainment and nightlife, and enjoy family friendly travel with emphasis on visiting attractions. There is also a growing interest in cruising out of Singapore.
But compared with Jakarta visitors, they have stronger preference for hotels within Orchard Road area.
They typically stay around three days in Singapore.
