SINGAPORE: Buoyed by its stature as a top must-visit shopping and lifestyle destination, Singapore has evolved a long-term strategy to record 117 million visitor arrivals and achieve 30 billion Singapore dollars in tourism receipts by 2015.

Vivian Balakrishnan, Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports, told a delegation of visiting journalists that signature events such as Great Singapore Sale (GSS), Fashion Festival, Arts Festival, Food Festival and JewelFest were being hosted to rejuvenate to shore up its retail landscape. He said street-level activity and carnival-like revelry along the arterial Orchard Road in Singapore would be given a further fillip in the near-future.

In her opening remarks at the launch of the GSS, Joycelyn Ng, Deputy Director (Leisure Marketing and Events Management) of the Singapore Tourism Board, said the country's economy was spurred by rising consumer spending and a tourist surge. "Visitor arrivals for the first quarter of 2006 registered a sterling performance of 2.3 million, a 14 per cent increase." Tourism continued to be instrumental in supporting the retail sector. In this regard, she also said that the Great Singapore Sale was ideal as a publicity vehicle for the country's retail offerings and another good reason for visiting Singapore in June-July.

Jannie Tay, president of the Singapore Retailers Association, said every minute detail had been planned during the GSS and innovations such as complimentary foot massage for tired "shopoholics" and free limousine drive for shoppers to carry their wares characterised the "uniquely Singapore lifestyle experience."

But what caught the imagination of shoppers was an event designed to spot the greatest bargain-hunter during the GSS inaugural. To highlight rare discounts, an extensive array of merchandise and quality shopping, national and international teams were mandated to spend 1,000 Singapore dollars in the most effective way and show the maximum savings. That is, the bigger the difference between the usual price of commodities and the discount sale price the better the contestant's chances are to win the GSS Challenge. Between May 26 and July 23, when the GSS is in operation, retailers and malls offer discounts up to 80 per cent on most of their wares, including even designer items.

The twist lay in the reward itself. For, the winners are to spend 10,000 Singapore dollars in the shopping malls participating in the GSS programme.

This year, that marked the 13th edition of the GSS and the third year of the shopping challenge scheme, 17 international and eight national teams took part in the event.

A three-member team from Australia surprised everyone by winning the 10,000-dollar challenge.

While the Philippines team won the second prize of 6,000 dollars, Malaysia got the third.

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