SINGAPORE: From turning an annual food festival into a virtual affair with live classes, to gamifying a walking tour where participants solve puzzles as they explore Chinatown, these are some examples of how tourism players are amidst their businesses with technology Reinventing COVID. 19th

Digitization and new technologies “disrupted” the tourism sector even before COVID-19, and the pandemic has accelerated change between people and businesses, Minister of Commerce and Industry Chan Chun Sing said on Wednesday (April 7).

“In a world where visitors are not bound by physical limits, travel is no longer just about meetings or sightseeing, but about the unique range of experiences it offers visitors from before they arrive to after they leave,” he said at the Singapore Tourism Board’s Annual Industry Conference (STB).

“The next frontier for growth for the tourism sector will be to create high quality, end-to-end experiences that are tailored to the needs of travelers.”

STB Tourism Industry Conference 2021

The Singapore Tourism Industry Conference 2021 took place on April 7, 2021 at the Suntec Convention Center. (Photo: Tang See Kit)

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Singapore must continue to use technology to reinvent the experiences it offers travelers, the minister said as he announced the launch of a new platform called the Tourism Technology Transformation Cube (Tcube), which will serve as a “focal point” for Tourism companies during their travels for digital transformation.

“The initiatives within the framework of Tcube will enable tourism companies to meet like-minded tourism stakeholders in order to facilitate the exchange of knowledge, test innovative ideas through proof-of-concept and pilot projects and equip themselves with the tools to build and scale sustainable business models”, he said.

Keith Tan, CEO of STB, said the board would extend its tourism accelerator program for another two years through September 2023.

The program was first launched in 2019 to help tourism companies find innovative solutions to address challenges. So far, 21 start-ups have been supported in developing 35 industry solutions.

Mr. Tan said the Tourism Board will continue to work with partner agencies to attract companies with technology and digital solutions relevant to Singapore’s tourism sector.

“You need to meet the demand to test these solutions, guide pilots and see if they can be scaled up quickly,” he said at the conference.

“If we don’t do this, we run the risk of becoming obsolete and unable to keep up with the demands and expectations of discerning quality visitors.”

STB and the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) will also develop a new tourism sector skills development roadmap to ensure tourism workers are equipped with the skills needed in a post-pandemic world.

With the support of the industry-led alliance within the Emerging Stronger Taskforce, the roadmap is expected to be finalized and shared later this year, Tan said.

BECOME A SUSTAINABLE GOAL

The tourism sector also needs to seize opportunities to shift towards sustainability, Chan said.

The minister referred to the recently announced Singapore Green Plan 2030, which aims to make Singapore a sustainable and innovative urban travel destination.

READ: Singapore unveils Green Plan 2030 and outlines green goals for the next 10 years

While Singapore may not be able to compete with other “eco” goals due to its land scarcity and lack of natural landscapes, the country’s value proposition comes from “the intangibles,” he said.

This includes a progressive and transparent regulatory environment, strong intellectual property protection and a vibrant public and private ecosystem.

“We want to be the best place to test sustainable solutions, new products and new experiences so that companies from around the world can bring world-class solutions and innovations to market here in Singapore,” said Chan.

Mr. Tan said that while many industry players recognize the need to focus on environmental sustainability, the problem needs to be addressed “together as a goal, not company to company”.

For this reason, STB will be reaching out to industry players in the coming months to share their thoughts on developing strategies and a roadmap for the sustainability of travel destinations.

It will also expand the scope of the Singapore Tourism Accelerator to develop solutions for sustainability.

“Ultimately, we not only want to be known as a sustainable travel destination, but also as a great place for companies to test sustainable tourism solutions,” said Tan, citing examples such as a net low-carbon hotel or an entertainment event.

BUSINESS TRAVEL WILL SEE DEMAND

Other trends that the industry will have to grapple with in the post-pandemic future are what Mr. Tan calls “almost everything far,” namely the acceleration of remote working and virtual events.

STB believes the demand for business travel will continue even after convenient virtual meeting tools emerge, he said.

“It is one thing to travel the world listening to presentations you could have heard from home on Zoom, but it is another thing to travel to an event to exchange ideas and knowledge that is new Generate ideas, products and knowledge. Or to experience, touch and try new products and innovations that can disrupt or revolutionize your business, ”he added.

“So the challenge for us is to ensure that Singapore continues to have these kinds of value-adding, world-leading, knowledge-building events and activities here.”

He proposed holding conferences and trade shows that focus on key issues that need urgent attention from businesses and governments, such as food security.

A “strong” meeting, incentive, congress and exhibition (MICE) industry is also needed, Tan added.

In addition to the partnership with the Singapore Association of Convention and Exhibition Organizers and Suppliers (SACEOS), STB will make its contribution to supporting and profiling the industry.

READ: Security Guidelines, Hybrid Model Tips as Part of the New Resilience Roadmap for the MICE and Events Sector

One of his plans is to have two offices in Brussels and San Francisco this year, Tan announced, adding that it will also allow them “to bring in a wider base of international organizations and companies, as well as key decision-makers, so that we can secure more high quality ones Business Events for Singapore ”.

Other announcements at the annual tourism industry conference include three upcoming tourist attractions in Singapore as the country seeks to rejuvenate its ailing tourism sector after a “long winter” caused by the pandemic.

These new projects will help support the tourism sector and make it more attractive, Tan said.

“Since the pandemic, we’ve focused on getting through this long winter, but now it’s time for us to think about the future – what do we need to do today so that we can thrive and be successful tomorrow?” he added.

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