Singapore Tourism refuses to blame advertising for fall in visitor numbers

In June this year, the island state recorded its first decline in visitor numbers since 2004. But STB has pointed to higher air travel costs, rising fuel prices and unfavourable exchange rates as the reasons for the slowdown.

An STB spokeswoman told Media: "It is unfair to attribute any blame for the slowdown [in visitor numbers] on the ‘Uniquely Singapore’ campaign. It is the first time in 51 months that we have seen a decline, which proves that the campaign has worked well."

In the first three months of 2008, visitor numbers to Singapore grew year on year by 6.6 per cent. But in April and May just 0.8 per cent more tourists visited Singapore compared to the same period in 2007.

In June, Singapore's tourism sector recorded its first decline since March 2004, falling by 4.1 per cent.

The value of Singapore's tourism sector is also in decline. Tourism receipts for the first six months of 2008 were down 0.2 per cent, to S$6.5 billion (US$4.7 billion).

Adspend on the ‘Uniquely Singapore’ campaign has remained fairly consistent over the past three years, although composition of the media used has changed.

More is now spent online and through entertainment marketing: Singapore is increasingly weaved into the storylines of movies and TV shows produced in countries such as India and China, two of Singapore's largest target markets.