THE battle for the tourist dollar heats up as Singapore's largest annual shopping event, the Great Singapore Sale (GSS), opens today.

Now in its 15th year, the GSS is a key draw for visitors to Singapore, with visitor arrivals hitting its second-highest peak in July last year, coinciding with the sale period.

According to a survey by the Singapore Tourism Board (STB), half of the tourists polled last year were aware of the sale before they arrived, compared to one in three in 2006.

Tourists who had planned their trips to coincide with the sale spent twice as much as those who had not known of the sale before arrival. Visitors from Indonesia, Australia, Malaysia, India, Japan and Thailand were the most likely to plan a trip to Singapore during the GSS.

'Shopping is a key pillar in Singapore's tourism strategy, and the STB sees that GSS plays a vital role in enhancing Singapore's reputation as a vibrant shopping destination and boosting visitor expenditure,' said Andrew Phua, director of cluster development for tourism shopping and dining at the STB.

Speaking at a press conference for the launch of the GSS, Mr Phua added that the STB hopes to attract 17 million visitor arrivals and a total of $30 billion in tourist receipts by 2015.

Tourist receipts accounted for 40 per cent of $5.5 billion in retailers' takings during last year's GSS.

This year, the STB's efforts to enhance the Singapore shopping experience include introducing new international brands, offering late-night shopping during the sale season, and rejuvenating pedestrian walkways along Orchard Road.

A series of shopping tours will also be held during the GSS to give tourists a chance to venture beyond Orchard Road.

The three different routes include locations such as Courts Megastore, People's Park, Bras Basah Complex, Bugis Street and Vivocity.

Mr Phua was quick to emphasise that Singapore is offering visitors much more than good deals during the GSS. He cited the Singapore Arts Festival in June and the Singapore Food Festival in July as other lifestyle events that would provide tourists with a 'uniquely Singaporean experience'.