GGRAsia – S’pore Tourism Board aware of China’s casino concerns: rep

S’pore Tourism Board aware of China’s casino concerns: rep

Mar 25, 2024 Newsdesk Latest News, Singapore, Top of the deck

A senior official of Singapore Tourism Board (STB) has said the body is “aware” of a statement by China’s embassy in Singapore asking Chinese citizens to stay away from gambling when overseas, and that the tourism authority had “respect” for the concerns expressed.

The comment passed to GGRAsia was attributed to Andrew Phua, STB executive director, international group, Greater China. It addressed “China market media query”, said the tourism board.

The city-state of Singapore has a duopoly casino market, and other limited forms of legal wagering.

“STB is aware of the statement issued by the PRC [People’s Republic of China] Embassy in Singapore, and we respect their concerns,” Mr Phua was cited as saying.

The Chinese-language message from the embassy, issued last week via WeChat, had mentioned: “Even if a casino establishment is set up legally outside the country’s [mainland China's] borders, citizens may allegedly come to violate our country’s laws over [involvement in] cross-border gambling, especially [via] participation in organising gambling… that can result in [such citizens] being held legally liable for their acts.”

The same week, a Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson stated, during a regular media briefing in Beijing, that “China’s “position on cross-border gambling is consistent and clear”. The official, Lin Jian, said that regarding the “relevant legal provisions” covering the matter, the media should address enquiries to the “competent authorities”.

In the STB statement, Mr Phua said on behalf of the tourism body: “Singapore is a trusted and vibrant destination for both leisure and business.”

He added: “Chinese travellers visit Singapore for many reasons. In addition to Singapore’s reputation as a family-friendly, bilingual, and safe destination, our diverse range of tourism offerings including our slew of wide-ranging attractions and a robust events calendar makes Singapore an attractive destination choice to Chinese visitors.”

The STB official also noted that a 30-day mutual visa-exemption scheme with China would “continue to increase Singapore’s attractiveness as a tourist destination for Chinese visitors, boosting visitor arrivals and spending in Singapore across the tourism sector and related industries”.

The STB statement observed that approximately 327,000 people arrived in Singapore from China in February 2024, “representing 96 percent of figures in 2019, making China the top visitor source market in February”.

The update said the tourism board would continue with a ‘Made in Singapore’ campaign, that had been launched in September 2023.

“Through branding and PR [public relations] initiatives, we aim to unveil rich and unique experiences, offering Chinese visitors the opportunity to discover more hidden gems in Singapore in an unexpected way,” Mr Phua was cited as saying.