Singapore Tourism Board has partnered with Alibaba backed travel platform Alitrip to market a host of Singapore travel services and products to the Chinese market.
The agreement allows local hotels, travel agencies, tourist attractions an transport operators to host their products at branded online stores on Alitrip.
"China is Singapore’s second largest contributor to international visitor arrivals, with some 1.8 million tourists from January to October 2015, a year-on-year growth of more than 20 percent. We see huge growth trends in their online and mobile consumption," said Quek Choon Yang, chief technology officer of STB.
"Chinese visitors today are more sophisticated and discerning. They look for authentic and in-depth experiences that showcase the multifaceted character of Singapore."
Quek expects the tie-up to boost direct sales of Singapore travel products.
Ascott, Resorts World Sentosa and Six Stars Tours & Services are some of the businesses which have set up their online stores.
Talks are ongoing to bring Singapore Airlines and Tigerair to the platform, along with local malls and restaurants, Alitrip said.
Alitrip president Li Shaohua said Singapore was chosen to become the first destination omni-channel due to its popularity in the Chinese market, well developed tourism resources and simplified visa procedures.
