VISITOR arrivals to our shores may be dipping, but Singapore is still tops in the regional tourism market

The Singapore Tourism Board (STB) on Thursday received the awards of "Best Sightseeing City in Asia-Pacific" and "Best Website of City Promotion in Asia-Pacific" at the 2009 Seoul Tourism Awards.

According to the organisers, Singapore's tourism products and infrastructure, active MICE industry, and global recognition by major awards were some of the factors which contributed to its winning the best sightseeing honour.

The second award recognised the visitsingapore.com online portal for its high external awareness, variety of content and strong base of subscribers, said the organisers.

Other factors in the winning formula included the site's strong visual impression and originality, coupled with a convenient and user-friendly interface with a choice of 16 different languages.

"These accolades attest to our achievements in the Asia-Pacific region and we are encouraged to continue building on the strengths of our product appeal and marketing reach in the global arena," Mr Ken Low, Assistant Chief Executive, Marketing Group, STB said.

The Seoul Tourism Awards is a platform for recognising the best of urban tourism service promotion in the Asia-Pacific region.

Award winners are selected through a three-stage process consisting of industry expert recommendations and public voting, selection by a Judgment Subcommittee, followed by selection by the Merits Judgment Committee based on personal interviews and possible onsite inspection.