The Singapore Tourism Board (STB) aims at achieving 9.4 million visitor arrivals and 12 billion Singapore dollars (US$7.4 billion) in tourism receipts in 2006, Minister for Trade and Industry Lim Hng Kiang announced Thursday.

Speaking at the Tourism Industry Night, Lim said that a MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conventions and Exhibitions) marketing campaign will be launched soon, and more exciting brands and events on night life and entertainment will be introduced to Singapore.

"STB will focus its efforts on attracting major tourism investments from around the world to realize the Tourism 2015 vision," Lim noted.

Singapore announced last year that it expects to triple tourism receipts to 30 billion Singapore dollars (US$18 billion) and double visitor arrivals to 17 million by 2015.

In 2005, a record number of 8.94 million visitors arrived in Singapore, exceeding STB's target of 8.9 million and posting an increase of 7 percent over 2004, and tourism receipts surpassed STB's target of 10.4 billion Singapore dollars (US$6.4 billion) to reach 10.8 billion Singapore dollars (US$ 6.7 billion), up 10 percent from a year ago.

(Xinhua News Agency January 27, 2006)