To build on the growing inbound travel from India to Singapore, STB unveils new MICE incentives as the two countries celebrate 60th year of their diplomatic relations.
Janice Alyosius
As Singapore is currently experiencing strong inbound travel from India, the city-state has witnessed over 500,000 Indian travellers in the first half of 2025 alone. Commenting on this growth, Markus Tan, Regional Director, India, Middle East, South Asia and Africa, Singapore Tourism Board (STB), recently said, “India continues to be one of Singapore’s top performing source markets and we are heartened by the strong travel momentum in 2025.”
Underlining the ties between the two countries, he said, “As Singapore and India celebrate 60 years of diplomatic relations, we remain focused on building long-term, trusted partnerships with the Indian travel trade. Together, we can unlock new growth opportunities across leisure, cruise and MICE.”
Stressing on the recent initiatives being introduced by STB for Indian market, he candidly informed, “To attract more Indian travellers, we are continuously organising roadshows in India, which reflects our commitment to being present in key Indian cities and listening to our partners on the ground,” adding, “Together, we can unlock new growth opportunities across leisure, cruise and MICE.”
He further stressed, “With new trade initiatives such as the DMC fam support scheme and MICE incentives under our ‘Just Between Us Friends’ campaign, we are creating meaningful platforms that empower our partners to promote Singapore more effectively.”
Fresh MICE incentives
Singapore continues to see rising MICE traffic from India, with major events such as Sun Pharma’s 6,100-delegate gathering and the upcoming CREDAI Natcon Convention, which will debut in Singapore this September with over 1,000 participants.
To further support this growth, as Tan mentioned, STB India is also extending its ‘Just Between Us Friends’ campaign to the MICE segment. The extended campaign will offer exclusive privileges to Indian incentive groups travelling between 1 August 2025 and 31 March 2026. Benefits include special experiences from Sentosa and its partners, additional support from city-wide tourism players and enhanced travel options through IndiGo and Singapore Airlines.
As a part of these efforts, STB recently concluded its latest B2B roadshow in India, introducing a reimagined format that reflects its renewed focus on deeper trade engagement and innovative storytelling. Held from 15-17 July 2025 across New Delhi and Kochi, the event brought together more than 60 tourism partners from Singapore to highlight the destination’s evolving offerings across leisure, cruise and MICE segments.
Sentosa’s India connect
Appreciating how Sentosa stands tall as one of the highly attractive Singapore’s attractions that draws highest number of Indian travellers, Michael Ma, Assistant Chief Executive, Sentosa Development Corporation, shared, “India is among one of the top source markets for Sentosa and that perhaps explains the special connection we have with our Indian friends. It has been that way for quite a while, and we intend to continue attracting and delighting our Indian friends.” He added, “Indians visit Sentosa more times per trip than any other nationality. The average stay of our Indian visitors is about three days, which is nearly on par with the overall average in Singapore. We are now trying to push that to four.”
Ma also pointed out a noticeable shift in traveller’s behaviour, “We are witnessing more independent travellers from India, alongside our traditionally strong group segment. Interestingly, Sentosa offers something for both the segments along with other niche categories. It encompasses group-friendly attractions to hidden gems that appeal to independent, discerning visitors.”
Updates on Sentosa
New projects
Singapore Oceanarium launched; 3 times the size of SEA Aquarium
Weave, a new retail and F&B enclave, part of the Sentosa-Singapore cable car line integration
Raffles Sentosa, a luxury villa resort with 62 private pool villas
Minion Land launched at Universal Studios Singapore
New experiences
Harry Potter: Visions of Magic-immersive experience running till 2026
Madame Tussauds launched a new VR thriller coaster experience
Peranakan-themed light projection shows running at Palawan Green until end-August
Sensoryscape drew 5 million visitors since March 2025
