PARTY TIME IN SINGAPORE: Tourists and locals alike enjoying the pyrotechnic light and sound display at Clarke Quay as the Uniquely Singapore Weekend Campaign kicked off with a bang on Friday. -- ST PHOTO: DESMOND LIM

While some 25,000 locals and foreigners usually throng the popular watering hole at weekends, the higher number over the past few days marked a good start to a new Singapore Tourism Board (STB) drive to woo tourists here for some weekend fun.

Judging from responses from tourists, hotels, nightspots and travel agents, the 52-week Uniquely Singapore Weekend campaign got off to a good start. Marketing for the campaign began on July 23, and the first weekend away kicked off last Friday.

The STB wants to brand Singapore as a fun getaway for weekend revellers from the region, with a focus on seven cities - Bangkok, Chennai, Guangzhou, Hong Kong, Jakarta, Johor Baru and Kuala Lumpur.

On arriving, travellers could pick up special discount booklets from hotels or the Singapore Visitor Centres.

These offered deals to attractions such as the Asian Civilisations Museum, priority entry into clubs such as the Ministry of Sound and lots of shopping and dining privileges.

About 20,000 booklets were snapped up over the three-day period. Watering holes such as Fashion Bar and Ministry of Sound saw a good number of tourists redeeming their free drinks. At Fashion Bar, 200 of the 1,100 drinkers were tourists, while 500 of the 9,500 clubbers at the Ministry of Sound were tourists.

Mr Calvin Sio, marketing manager of the Cannery and Ministry of Sound, said: 'We did not expect that many tourists to come on the first weekend. I think the figures pretty much speak for themselves.'

Retirees Michael and Veronique Waas took advantage of the cheap weekend packages to fly in on Thursday to celebrate Mr Waas' 72nd birthday along with Singapore's National Day, and to spend the weekend.

The Swiss couple, who moved to Thailand last year when they retired, were enthralled with what Singapore had to offer. This was their first visit.

They had their palms read by a fortune teller as they soaked in the party atmosphere at Clarke Quay at the weekend.

Mrs Waas, 58, said: 'Everything is so wonderful here, so much to see and do. I definitely will come back.'

Hotels such as the Conrad Centennial Singapore and Orchard Hotel reported a healthy take-up of their weekend room packages, which started from $188+++.

Pan Pacific Singapore reported an 8 percentage point increase in its occupancy rate last weekend, up from the usual weekend rate of 75 per cent.

Travel agents such as Zuji offered special rates for weekend travel here.

Zuji Singapore's general manager Philip Ho said that although he has yet to see a significant increase in bookings, he is sure the weekend promotions will start to draw in more of the targeted 'highly mobile individuals'.

For Johor Baru travel agent Hock Sang Travel Centre, response to its new one-day coach package from JB to Singapore has been good enough for it to be extended to other weekends.

Ms Jeri Teh, the agent's market development manager, said about 30 people took the RM50 (S$22) per person package on Saturday.

She said: 'Our customers all said they enjoyed themselves. We have another package for the coming weekend and are exploring longer packages for travellers from other cities like Kuala Lumpur.'

Singaporeans, too, liked the busier weekend buzz.

Mr Simon Teng, 39, an assistant general manager, was at Clarke Quay on Friday along with 13 family members to take in the pyrotechnic light and sound display, as well as the dance performances.

He said: 'We should have more of such events so that people - local and foreign - will feel that Singapore is a fun place to be.'

weichean@sph.com.sg