Inside Asian Gaming

INSIDE ASIAN GAMING | December 2010 24 In the follow up, the four vie to con each other in a show of one-upmanship. The movie, featuring other Macau landmarks including Hotel Lisboa and Taipa, could start local production as early as January and provide potentially massive marketing exposure for LVS at minimal cost. In September this year, 12,210 Indian visitors came to Macau, an increase of 29.8% over the equivalent month in 2009. In the third quarter of this year, according to data from Macau’s Statistics and Census Service, 126,840 visitors from India visited Macau, up 66.4% compared to 76,227 in the equivalent period in 2009. That growth could speed up if direct air routes are established. The company that operates Macau International Airport has offered rebates on airport service fees to the first airline to offer either direct routes between India and Macau or indirect routes with good connections and good frequency. Some industry analysts have suggested the Singapore casino resorts would be the first choice of Indian tourists because they are nearer to home. That could be precisely a reason not to choose Singapore. There are fewer bragging rights associated with a trip to a near neighbour than a trip to an ‘exotic’ location. It’s also worth noting that the 350,000-strong ethnic Indian community resident within Singapore is very stratified. There is a small and rich elite segment, and a much larger low-income group. The latter tend to do the lowest status jobs such as labouring and are effectively looked down on by many Chinese and Malays. The socio-economic and educational status of ethnic Indians in Singapore is, however, gradually improving. In 1999, only 64.6% of resident Indians in the Singapore educational system were admitted to post- secondary education, compared to 66.4% of Malays and 82.4% of Chinese, according to Singapore’s Ministry of Education. By 2008, Indians had moved into second spot with 89.2% admitted to post-secondary education, compared to 85.5% of Malays and 95% of Chinese. Anecdotally, the social attitudes toward Indian residents of the other ethnic groups still appear to lag behind those changes. Indian tourists and business visitors still need to pre-apply for a visa to enter Singapore, while Chinese passport holders are granted visas on arrival. That kind of atmosphere doesn’t necessarily make for a relaxing holiday if you’re a high caste, high status Indian tourist. Singapore’s Little India A Sure Bet Log onto www.asgam.com for the latest industry intelligence and a subscription to our digital edition—all absolutely free LVS