With no F1 return in sight, Indian fans flock to Singapore

A sizable number of Indians are satiating their need for speed by flocking to Singapore during the Formula 1 weekend and the trend could continue to grow with little possibility of the highprofile race returning home in the near future.

“The number of Indians visiting Singapore is increasing annually and we are also seeing more traffic from India during the Singapore Grand Prix,” GB Srithar, regional director of South Asia at Singapore Tourism Board, told PTI today.

“And they are not just coming here for the race, they are planning their holiday around the Grand Prix week. The interest is also there in the entertainment line up around the event. Not just India, people from all around the world are visiting Singapore during the race week,” he said.

Srithar said India has become the fourth-largest market for Singapore behind China, Malaysia and Indonesia.

Overall, as many as 6.6 lakh Indians visited Singapore between January and May this year, a 15 per cent increase from last year. Around 1.1 million Indians touched down in the city-state in 2016, an increase of eight per cent from the previous year.

The Grand Prix period not only attracts Indians but tourists from all around the world. Since the night race’s inception in 2008, Singapore has received over 4,50,000 international visitors and about SGD 1.4 billion in tourism receipts.

The sport’s first ever night race has become one of the highlights of the season and yesterday Singapore extended its deal with Formula 1 for another four years.

“The race is not only attracting holiday tourists, a large number also visit Singapore during the Grand Prix week for business. What we are offering is an overall package,” added Srithar.

Besides the action on the track, a host of musical concerts featuring international artists and lifestyle events take place during the race week. Calvin Harris, Ariana Grande, The Chainsmokers, Seal and Duran Duran are among the artists performing this week.