27 Nov 2020
The Singapore Tourism Board (STB) today announced a new initiative to reimagine travel for Singapore and the rest of the world, by sparking conversations, stories and ideas to collectively shape the future of our sector.
Called SingapoReimagine, this platform will kick off with “Reimagine Travel - Global Conversations”, a series of forums around the world to catalyse discussions on how to reshape global travel. For a start, STB will share our learnings on how the public and private sectors have come together to create new possibilities for our visitors. As part of the forums, global partners will be invited to share knowledge and exchange ideas, with the first one in Singapore next year before being hosted in other parts of the world.
Closer to home, STB will also roll out “Reimagine Travel in Singapore”, a series of engagements with passionate members of the local community and tourism partners to co-create ideas and spur the renewal of Singapore tourism. This complements the SingapoRediscovers domestic campaign[1], which encourages locals to rediscover and reconnect with Singapore's hidden gems and experiences.
Both initiatives will be launched in 2021, and more details will be announced in due course.
STB Chief Executive Mr Keith Tan said, “COVID-19 is the biggest crisis we have ever faced in travel and tourism. But it also offers us an opportunity to reset and revive our industries in ways that we never imagined was possible a year ago. The journey to reimagine travel has already started in Singapore, and we want to continue this journey with those whose voices matter – our community in Singapore, and our partners here and around the world. We look forward to co-creating ideas and strategies with all of them, to make travel better.”
While it will take time for mass international travel to resume, there are promising signs of future demand. In Singapore, a Brand Health Study across 14 markets[2] , conducted by STB's appointed market research company Ipsos in August 2020, revealed that leisure and BTMICE (Business Travel and Meetings, Incentive Travel, Conventions and Exhibitions) travellers maintain a strong perception of Singapore being a safe destination to visit, despite COVID-19.
According to the study, confidence in travelling overseas for leisure and business has been steadily increasing, with 76% of leisure travellers and 90% of BTMICE travellers indicating they are likely to travel in the next 12 months, if possible.
“We are extremely encouraged by the findings of our Brand Health Study, which points to positive traveller confidence in Singapore and is a broad indication of market readiness and appetite for travel. STB is confident in Singapore's attractiveness as a leading business and leisure destination, and we will gradually commence our market engagement efforts in line with the health situation and prevailing travel policies,” Mr Tan added.
A reimagined Singapore for visitors
SingapoReimagine is also about creating a new standard for travel. Over the past few months, Singapore's tourism sector has shown both resilience and ingenuity, to meet the evolving needs of visitors and ensure that every aspect of their experience is safe, yet delightful.
Reimagine Safety - STB has been working closely with industry partners to elevate health and safety measures based on new national standards, so that future visitors can enjoy the city's refreshed experiences with added peace of mind. Such initiatives include the SG Clean Quality mark, which requires tourism establishments to adhere to stringent levels of hygiene and sanitisation as well as Safe Management Measures (SMMs).
Reimagine Technology - Technology is at the heart of those efforts. From the use of contactless technology and cleaning robots, to the TraceTogether app and token (the world's first national digital contact tracing tool), Singapore aims to make travel safer, yet seamless and efficient. Technology is also creating new possibilities for our tourism offerings. Virtual experiences, hybrid meeting venues and events, and even robot baristas are now offered, offering new ways for us to delight our visitors without compromising on safety.
Reimagine City & Nature - Looking further ahead, Singapore aims to be the world's most sustainable urban destination. That is why we are investing in new products and pilots that take into account the needs of the community and the environment. In fact, we are on track to achieve this vision with nature-based concepts in places of interest such as Jewel Changi Airport and Gardens By the Bay. Other examples also include our ambition to transform Singapore into a City In Nature[3] over the next decade, developing the Jurong Lake District Tourism Development to be a world-class lifestyle destination that features the best of sustainability, innovation, nature and science, and reimagining the Mandai Precinct as a world-class eco-themed nature cluster with the introduction of new wildlife attractions as well as eco-friendly accommodation offerings
For more examples of reimagined tourism products and offerings, please refer to the Annex.
SingapoReimagine as a platform for stories
As travel gradually resumes, the story of these new experiences – for both leisure and MICE – will be told through SingapoReimagine. We will be working with international and in-market media, key influencers as well as content and trade partners to engage our audiences in key markets to drive the anticipation for travel in Singapore.
STB will also use SingapoReimagine as a platform to step up marketing Singapore as a MICE destination known for Safety, Innovation, and Trust. This is to rebuild short to mid-term consideration of Singapore among MICE event planners, through media partnerships, digital and social channels, as well as increased business development efforts.
The SingapoReimagine assets are available here:
- Singapore Reimagines Tourism film – go.gov.sg/sgreimaginestourismfilm
- SingapoReimagine film – go.gov.sg/singaporeimaginefilm
- STB SG Clean and Safety Measures Video – go.gov.sg/sgcleansafety
- Key visuals – go.gov.sg/singaporeimaginevisuals
ENDS
Annex: Examples of Reimagined Tourism Products/ Offerings and Experiences
Reimagine Airports
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Tourism stakeholder |
Changi Airport Group |
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Example(s) of reimagined offerings |
· Changi Airport Group has focused on innovation to ensure a safe, yet seamless journey for visitors. These include: o FAST check-in kiosks and bag-drop machines are fitted with proximity sensors to remove the need to touch the screens to check-in or to drop off passenger bags. o Auto-clearance immigration lanes have been upgraded with a new biometric system that uses face and iris recognition technology. o Autonomous cleaning equipment is deployed throughout Changi Airport to clean floors and carpets daily. These robots are equipped with a misting attachment that disinfects the carpets after cleaning. o Changi Airport Group is testing the use of ultraviolet-C (UV-C) LEDs to disinfect the handrails of escalators and travellators. o A trial is also being conducted on the use of contactless infrared technology for passenger lifts, where travellers just need to hover their finger over the lift button to activate it. o For more information, please visit: bit.ly/contactless_initiatives · New delivery service Changi Eats is transforming the F&B business in Changi Airport. Diners can enjoy Changi's food offerings across Changi Airport and Jewel Changi Airport delivered directly to their homes. Diners also have the option of combining orders from up to five different outlets, at no mark-up of food prices and zero service fees. |
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Images |
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Spokesperson quote |
Mr. Lee Seow Hiang, CEO, Changi Airport Group: “One of the greatest takeaways from the COVID-19 pandemic is the power of innovation and experimentation. At Changi Airport, we had to think of how to convert surfaces with high touch points to non-touch surfaces. Today, we are a zero-contact terminal where passengers can move through the whole process of check-in to boarding a plane without touching a single surface. A similar spirit of reinvention is applied to all areas of our business. When travel revives, we are determined to provide a safe and pleasantly surprising experience for our passengers travelling through Changi Airport.”
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Reimagine Entertainment
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Tourism stakeholder |
Zouk Group |
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Example(s) of reimagined offerings |
· Zouk Group adapted to the closure of nightclubs by pivoting its space into other creative offerings, maintaining the spirit of entertainment: o Capital Kitchen – Zouk Group transformed Capital, a lounge space, into a unique pop-up dining concept in July, serving up an array of Asian and Western dishes and platters, alongside a selection of sake, wines, spirits, bottled cocktails by Zouk. o Cloud Clubbing – In a collaboration with Razer, Cloud Clubbing brings Zouk's DJs to the home of clubbers via closed-door livestreamed sets, in the first-ever cloud clubbing experience in Southeast Asia. o Absolute Cycle x Zouk – Partnering Asia's leading Rhythm Cycling Studio, Absolute Cycle, Zouk transformed their dancefloor into a spin experience with lighting and music. o Zouk Cinema Club – A brand new pop-up cinematic experience by Zouk Group, Zouk Cinema Club transformed the entertainment complex's main room from dance floor to a space for everyone to enjoy an immersive theatrical experience with food and beverage offerings. |
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Images |
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Spokesperson quote |
Mr. Andrew Li, CEO of Zouk Group, said: “There was a turning point during the Circuit Breaker, which led to a mindset shift – we realised that it was essential to create opportunities for ourselves as this was not a short-term situation. At Zouk Group, we have always been in the business of entertainment and unique experiences that bring communities together. Adapting to the ever-changing post-pandemic landscape, we pivoted our business model to allow the Zouk Group to evolve and innovate beyond our typical offerings. In doing so, we continue our journey towards developing into a global multi-purpose lifestyle destination.” |
Reimagine Experiences
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Tourism stakeholder |
Andaz Singapore |
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Example(s) of reimagined offerings |
· In addition to reopening for staycations, Andaz Hotel also has a “Workation Package”, an offer that provides day-use of its hotel rooms as working spaces. The package includes: o 8-hour use of Andaz room for one adult on weekdays as working space o SGD$30 F&B credit to be used for in-room dining or in the hotel outlets
· They are also focused on ensuring guests' safety through the following non-exhaustive measures: o A digital concierge that allows guests to book amenities, request for services and gather information about the hotel 24-7, via a Facebook chatbot that's powered by AI o Disinfection of key cards and frequent sanitisation of high-contact surfaces o Contactless delivery of hotel amenities and food to rooms o Use of digital menus across all dining outlets o Andaz Singapore has been certified with the SG Clean Quality Mark, as well as a GBAC STAR cleanliness and training accreditation through the Global Biorisk Advisory Council (GBAC).
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Images |
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Spokesperson quote |
Ms. Amy Lu, Director of Operations, Andaz Hotel, said: “It was extremely important for us at Andaz Singapore to understand the new traveller and what they need to help them be the best versions of themselves during this time – that's our brand philosophy at Hyatt. We have innovated our offerings and pivoted parts of our business to offer a new staycation experience and even 'workations'. We want to continually prioritise safety while still offering our unique fresh perspective on the travel and hospitality experience for our guests, as borders gradually reopen once again.”
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Reimagine Meeting Venues
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Tourism stakeholder |
Marina Bay Sands |
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Example(s) of reimagined offerings |
· As part of reimagining MICE events, Marina Bay Sands launched a state-of-the-art hybrid event broadcast studio. The studio offers broadcast-quality live-streaming capabilities and hologram functionalities, with a three-dimensional stage fitted with an immersive backdrop and floor that can be reconfigured for various events. The studio has also enhanced its toolbox with Mixed Reality (MR) technology, which integrates the virtual and physical worlds to create an immersive and interactive presentation. In the future, clients can look forward to more event tech capabilities incorporating Virtual Reality (VR), Augmented Reality (AR) and Extended Reality (XR) solutions. · The Shopping Concierge was launched in April as a first-of-its-kind service by any luxury shopping mall in Singapore to enable shoppers to indulge in retail therapy and receive complimentary delivery right to their homes. · Marina Bay Sands has also engaged in innovation to raise safety and hygiene levels. For example, it is the first hotel in Singapore to introduce a queue management system for guests checking in. Guests can book registration slots before they turn up, saving time and avoiding queues. The system, more commonly used in industries like banking, was customised just for the hotel. Within the rooms, the housekeeping staff use the latest electrostatic spray technology to ensure a deeper and more thorough clean of the room and its devices. |
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Spokesperson quote |
Mr. Paul Town, Senior Vice President, Resort Operations, Marina Bay Sands, said: “One of the most exciting developments that we engaged in was the creation of the hybrid event broadcast studio. It is a fully immersive studio that harnesses hologram technology to deliver high-impact MICE events enabling both in-person and virtual participation. At the same time, as we reopen borders, we will not compromise on our safety standards. We are taking a very systematic approach to delivering hospitality with the same quality and warmth that we've always delivered, but with this new expectation of a safe and sanitised environment to protect our guests.”
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[1] The SingapoRediscovers campaign was launched in July 2020 by STB, Enterprise Singapore and Sentosa Development Corporation. The ongoing campaign seeks to encourage locals to support local businesses, through the exploration of hidden gems and discovery of experiences in Singapore.
[2] The 14 markets include Australia, China, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Philippines, South Korea, Thailand, UK, USA and Vietnam.
[3] The National Parks Board (NParks) will be working with the community to transform Singapore into a City in Nature. This vision builds on what Singapore has achieved today as a biophilic City in a Garden and seeks to integrate nature into our city to strengthen Singapore distinctiveness as a highly liveable city while mitigating the impacts of climate change: https://www.nparks.gov.sg/news/2020/3/nparks-to-work-with-the-community-to-transform-singapore-into-a-city-in-nature
