Creating connections through tourism

2015 was a big year for Singapore-New Zealand relations. We celebrated 50 years of partnership, we had President Tony Tan Keng Yam visiting New Zealand, and the number of Singaporeans travelling to the country hit record highs with more than 48,000 Singaporeans travelling to New Zealand in the last 12 months alone.

One of the key sectors contributing to this important partnership is tourism. This sector has driven two-way economic growth and helped to maintain a cultural exchange between Singapore and New Zealand - something that we continue to see today.

Like the overall relationship between our two island nations, tourism has come a long way in the last five decades. In 1965, tourism from Singapore to New Zealand was almost non-existent. In 2015, tens of thousands of Singaporeans have made the trip while 80,000 Kiwis returned the favour.