Singapore’s tourism sector gets support to cope with coronavirus
Singapore is carrying out a wide range of measures to support businesses and labourers directly affected by the acute respiratory disease caused by a new coronavirus (nCoV), particularly those in the tourism sector.
A cleaner at Oasia Hotel Downtown sanitising the doors of the hotel's club lounge on Feb 2, 2020. (Photo: straitstimes.com)
Singapore (VNA) – Singapore is carrying out a wide range ofmeasures to support businesses and labourers directly affected by the acuterespiratory disease caused by a new coronavirus (nCoV), particularly those in thetourism sector.
Minister of Trade and Industry Chan Chun Sing said on February 2 that theimpact of the Wuhan virus could be wider, deeper and longer than that of thesevere acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) epidemic in 2003.
Although it is a little bit early to estimate economic losses, measures will beput in place to help tourism companies alleviate damage, he said.
Accordingly, Singapore will waive licence fees of between 300 and 500 SGD (219and 365 USD) for hotel operators for the rest of the year.
Those hotels where suspected and confirmed cases of thevirus had been found have also had to do enhanced environmental cleaning anddisinfection, and the Singapore Tourism Board will bear up to half the cost ofsuch cleaning fees.
This is capped at 20,000 SGD per establishment withconfirmed cases, and up to 10,000 SGD per establishment with suspected cases.
Full details of an overall package of relief measures will be announced at thenational Budget 2020 on February 18.
The tourism sector has already been directly affected by nCoV due to a declinein visitor arrivals, especially from China. Chinese tourists account for around20 percent of Singapore’s total international visitor arrivals, with about 3.6million visitors to Singapore in 2019./.
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A cleaner at Oasia Hotel Downtown sanitising the doors of the hotel's club lounge on Feb 2, 2020. (Photo: straitstimes.com) 
