Surprise! S'pore is No. 2 for nightlife and dining

Nov 8, 2006

WHEN the sun sets, the world's two most exciting countries to be in are not the United States or Britain, or even Japan.

They are Italy and - surprise, surprise - Singapore, the city that only until recently was known as Dullsville.

In any case, Singapore is 'hot', say more than 1,500 frequent travellers and travel experts who ranked it No. 2 for nightlife and dining in a global brand study.

The Global Country Brand Index was compiled by brand consultancy FutureBrand and public relations firm Weber Shandwick.

Singapore did not even make it to the top 10 last year in this category.

The finding stunned nightspot operators.

The manager of Clarke Quay pub Crazy Elephant, Ms Anita Lydia, said: 'It's a surprise. I guess one reason is that the Government has loosened up, and a lot of new bars and clubs have injected a lot of colour.'

Besides easing restrictions to draw tourists and foreign talent, the Government has welcomed new industry entrants such as Ministry of Sound and topless cabaret Crazy Horse. It has also designated areas such as Boat Quay and Clark Quay as 24-hour entertainment zones and has eased up on rules against bar-top dancing.

FutureBrand's vice-president for strategy and innovation Dominic Mason said the flourishing arts scene had helped, as had mega events such as the World Bank and International Monetary Fund meetings, which projected Singapore as a city with a lot going on.

He added that local chefs had been getting noticed in international culinary competitions, which had upped Singapore's profile as a dining destination. The buzz from the upcoming integrated resorts also helped.

Reacting to the news, Mr Dennis Foo, the man behind new nightspot, St James Power Station, said he hoped the Government would take the study's findings as a cue and continue enlivening the night scene.

Singapore also made the top 10 in nine out of 20 categories. Data came from three sources - statistics, a market survey and 35 experts' opinions. In shopping, for instance, Singapore was second only to the US in providing accessible, abundant and diverse retail options.

The 'little red dot' emerged No. 3 as a venue for conferences, and fifth as a family place, for resort/lodging and as an easy place to do business.

In the 'safety' category, it was seventh; for value-for-money, it was eighth; for business, 10th.

Singapore failed to make the rostrum for its beaches, history and culture, but Mr Mason waved these aside: 'It seems to be performing in areas that matter.'

The Singapore Tourism Board (STB) said the findings buoyed Singapore's bid to be Asia's entertainment capital.

STB's assistant chief executive for leisure, Dr Chan Tat Hon, said: 'Homegrown entertainment brands, such as Zouk and IndoChine have put Singapore on the world map, while international brand names, such as Ministry of Sound and Q Bar, have chosen Singapore to establish their regional presence.'

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