Indonesians swarm Singapore

Indonesians swarm Singapore

SINGAPORE (AFP): An influx of Indonesians fearing election- related unrest and an international convention are expected to boost Singapore hotel occupancy in June to the year's highest level, a report said Tuesday.

Hotels surveyed by the Business Times expected occupancy rates in June to rise to between 75 percent to 85 percent.

A Rotary Club convention from June 13 to 16 is the biggest event Singapore is hosting this year, but the economic crisis has trimmed the number of delegates by 5,000 to an expected 20,000, it said.

"Five thousand is not a lot, but when you multiply it by four nights, that's 20,000 room nights gone," said a hotel veteran.

Compared to May 1998 when an exodus of Indonesians sought refuge in Singapore during the violence that precipitated former Indonesian strongman Soeharto's downfall, many are now taking up non-hotel options ahead of the June 7 elections, hoteliers told the paper.

A spokesman for the Westin Stamford and the Westin Plaza said the hotels expected an 85 percent occupancy rate, with 6,500 room nights booked for the Rotary convention.