Potterheads to birdwatchers, there is something for everyone in Singapore.

The Southeast Asia destination is luring tourists with a bouquet of new
attractions.

The Singapore Tourism Board is hosting roadshows in Chennai, Hyderabad, Calcutta and Ahmedabad. The roadshow that features 50 exhibitors — representing hotels, airlines, cruise lines and destination management companies — is in the city now.

“Between January and June this year, Singapore received around 6,30,000 visitors from India. It is an important source market for us, among the top five in the world. Indian tourists have evolved a lot over the years. They are a very confident lot now. They know what they want. They keep us on our toes,” Markus Tan, regional director, India, Middle East, South Asia and Africa, Singapore Tourism Board, told this newspaper on Thursday.

“Singapore is not a new destination for Indians. Several other new international destinations are luring Indians. Against such a backdrop, we have to keep reinventing ourselves. We must stay ahead of the curve if we have to stay relevant. That is why we are promoting several new attractions,” he added.

The new Bird Paradise inside the Mandai Wildlife Reserve is one such attraction that opened on May 8 this year. The older Jurong Bird Park has been shifted to Mandai, around 25km away. Over 3,000 birds were shifted from the old park to the new premises, a 40-minute drive from the Changi airport. The birds were moved from January 4, the day after the 52-year-old park bade farewell to its last visitors.

The sheer number proved to be a great challenge. While parrots were transported in smaller boxes, birds with long legs like cranes, storks and flamingos needed bigger boxes. Penguins were relocated in a refrigerated truck.

Apart from the aviary, Mandai also offers zoo visits, night safaris and river safaris.

Some 26km away, on Sentosa Island, a nighttime trail through an illuminated forest might lead to a chance meeting with magical creatures from Harry Potter.

“A nighttime woodland trail experience filled with magical creatures and wizarding wonders from the Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts films... Celebrating some of the most iconic forest scenes from the beloved film series, visitors can come face-to-face with magical creatures including a Hippogriff, Nifflers, and more,” says the official website of the Forbidden Forest Experience.

Revival

“India is a major tourism source market for Singapore, with direct flights from 17 cities within a 4 to 6-hour range,” the board said in a release.

In 2019 (before the pandemic), Singapore received around 1.4 million visitors from India. In 2023, the number was 1.07 million, according to the board.

“International travel is back with vigour. The Indian recovery rate is 75 per cent, better than the global rate of 71 per cent,” said Tan.

“Calcutta is among the top Indian source markets for us. Two airlines have direct flights between Singapore and Calcutta,” he added.