Singapore universities emerge as new travel destination for Chinese families

The National University of Singapore campus. Photo courtesy of the university

Tour packages visiting Singapore's university campuses have attracted significant attention from Chinese parents, hoping to inspire their children to pursuit academic dream in the island nation.

Singapore was one of the most popular destinations for Chinese tourists during the Golden Week holiday, which ran from Oct. 1-7, as millions traveled abroad to celebrate National Day, The Straits Times reported.

Many Chinese families opted to tour Singapore's prestigious university campuses, aiming to motivate their children to pursue higher education in the city-state, renowned for its clean streets and low crime rates.

Capitalizing on this trend, many tour agencies in China have been promoting campus tour packages for Chinese families on social media. Over 170,000 posts tagged

#SingaporeUniversityTourStrategy appeared on Xiaohongshu, a popular Instagram-like app in China, Bloomberg reported.

These tours, priced at up to 2,388 yuan (US$340), are widely advertised on e-commerce platforms.

Industry insiders noted that this reflects Chinese parents' growing interest in Singaporean higher education, citing benefits such as visa-free travel, strong academic reputation, and lower living costs compared to destinations like the U.S. and Australia, according to the South China Morning Post.

Since February 2024, a mutual visa-free agreement has allowed citizens of Singapore and China to visit each other's countries without a visa for stays of up to 30 days.

However, not all universities in Singapore are pleased with the influx of visitors. Due to the surge in tourists and complaints from students, some universities have restricted access to certain areas or imposed entry fees.

The National University of Singapore, one of the world's leading universities, has limited tour bus access and cracked down on unlicensed tour guides to address the disruptions caused by large crowds.

Earlier this year, Nanyang Technological University, another top institution in Singapore, announced plans to introduce entry fees for tour groups due to the disturbances caused by the growing number of visitors on campus.

Vu, B. M. H. (2024, October 22). Singapore universities emerge as new travel destination for Chinese families. VnExpress International – Latest News, Business, Travel and Analysis From Vietnam.