Indus Travels showcases 50 years of Singapore

With Singapore preparing to celebrate 50 years of independence in August, Indus Travels and the Singapore Tourism Board met with the Canadian travel trade to discuss the Lion City in 2015.

The tour operator and the tourism office, joined by Singapore Airlines, welcomed agents to a presentation on May 27, detailing the past, present and future of the ever-changing country; as was remarked several times during the night, travellers who have previously visited Singapore can always find something new to discover, due to the island’s constant redevelopment and the blending of Chinese, Indian and Malaysian cultures.

Despite the upcoming milestone, Singapore’s history reaches back much further than 50 years. Founded in 1819 as a British trading post, the island was occupied by Japan during World War II and returned to the U.K. in 1963 and subsequently becoming part of Malaysia until independence in 1965.

Susan Krulic of the Singapore Tourism Board told PAX that while the main celebration will take place Aug. 9 during the country’s annual independence festivities, the entire year has been devoted to the anniversary, meaning there’s something unique for travellers to see no matter when they visit. She explained that the milestone has contributed to Singapore’s recent high profile as a travel destination, receiving top recommendations from outlets such as the New York Times, CNN and Lonely Planet, the latter of which named Singapore as its number one travel spot for 2015.

“We’re really taking the chance to look back and see where Singapore was, and appreciating the journey it’s been on,” Krulic said, adding that a new national gallery opening and special heritage walks detailing the country’s founding are among the special events taking place throughout 2015.

More than 92,000 Canadians ventured to Singapore in 2013 and 2014, and to increase those numbers, the tourism board is promoting the sides of Singapore that are often overshadowed by its reputation as an orderly financial powerhouse. The last five years in particular have seen numerous changes and development, such as the opening of the Marina Bay Sands hotel (offering numerous Michelin restaurants and one of the best views of the city), and Gardens by the Bay, an ecological attraction where more traditional greenhouses are interspersed with ‘super tree’ structures, housing plants, solar panels and, in the centre of the development, a restaurant with a view of the surrounding property.

“A lot of people from North America think it’s a place with beautiful architecture, a lot of rules and an exotic place in South Asia, but I think a lot of Canadian travellers and agents are still unaware of the newer attractions,” Krulic said. "There’s a lack of awareness about how green the country is and how much nature there is to see. That’s something we’re trying to push and ensure that people don’t just think of Singapore as a financial centre within Asia.”

Singapore at a glance

- Indus Travels offers three packages which combine Singapore with other Asian destinations such as Vietnam and India, along with one standalone package to the island.

- Canadians making the trip to Singapore can fly with Singapore Airlines out of Los Angeles.

- English is one of four official languages in Singapore, alongside Chinese, Malay and Tamil.

- Average temperatures in Singapore hover between 22 and 35 degrees Celsius, with a record low of 20 degrees recorded more than 80 years ago.

- Singapore’s multicultural make-up and international prestige has created a food lover’s paradise, where gastro-tourists can sample everything from traditional South Asian street food to creations from the kitchens of Michelin-starred chefs, with the country’s culinary scene drawing praise from the likes of Anthony Bourdain.

- Travel agents looking to learn more about Singapore can visit www.stbcontenthub.com.

PHOTO: Harish Shroff, business development manager - east coast, Indus Travels; Susan Krulic, manager - tourism business, Americas, Singapore Tourism Board; Les Kovacs, sales manager - eastern Canada, Singapore Airlines.