SIA, STB in S$4m partnership to attract more tourists

SIA, STB in S$4m partnership to attract more tourists

National carrier Singapore Airlines (SIA) and the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) have embarked on a "strategic partnership" aimed at attracting more visitors to the country.

In a joint statement on Wednesday, the two organisations said they will invest S$4 million in joint marketing campaigns across the globe, focusing on Australia, China, Germany, India, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States.

The collaboration will target a broad spectrum of leisure, cruise and business visitors.

The partners will jointly invest in the co-development of new products, where exclusive and customised experiences would be curated for SIA customers based on their interests.

The partnership will run until June 30, 2015.

~News courtesy of Channel Newsasia~

Sentosa hotel to get major makeover

Sentosa hotel to get major makeover


TEAMING UP: (From left) Mr Bobby Hiranandani and Mr Asok Kumar Hiranandani of Royal Group Development, and Accor Asia Pacific's Michael Issenberg. Royal Group has appointed Accor to manage the hotel. (PHOTO: ROYAL GROUP AND ACCOR)

THE Singapore Resort & Spa Sentosa will be redeveloped as a Sofitel property, to be unveiled next year after extensive refurbishment, Royal Group Development said yesterday.

The group bought the beachside hotel, formerly known as The Sentosa - A Beaufort Hotel, for $210.85 million from Hong Kong-based HKR International last year.

The hotel has been temporarily renamed The Singapore Resort & Spa Sentosa.

Royal Group, controlled by Mr Asok Kumar Hiranandani and his son Bobby, appointed Accor - which owns the Sofitel brand - to manage the hotel.

"We are confident that this property will be a key strategic landmark in Sentosa, and will be established as one of the top luxury resorts in Singapore and the region when it is transformed," said Mr Bobby Hiranandani, managing director of Royal Group.

The property will remain operational as it undergoes an extensive refurbishment lasting 12 to 18 months, before being unveiled in the second half of next year as Sofitel Singapore Sentosa Resort & Spa.

The new hotel will target luxury travellers, Royal Group said.

The property will have 215 keys, including suites and villas.

Spa Botanica will be transformed into an exclusive So Spa featuring outdoor spa pavilions and a spa garden, the group said in a statement.

Royal Group plans to spend more than $20 million on the renovation, Mr Bobby Hiranandani told The Straits Times on the sidelines of a briefing yesterday.

~News courtesy of Omy~

Changi Wi-Fi access now requires log-in

Changi Wi-Fi access now requires log-in

Free #WiFi@Changi is no longer just a click away.

To access the airport's wireless network with mobile phones and other personal gadgets, travellers now have to pre-register.

The system prompts users for their phone number and sends a message with a password to the handset. Wi-Fi access is activated when the five-digit code is keyed in.

Those without phones can register for a password at the customer service counter.

~News courtesy of Straits Times~

STB unveils second phase of Tourism50 celebrations

STB unveils second phase of Tourism50 celebrations

The Singapore Tourism Board (STB) has launched a series of events and activities, as part of its second wave of Tourism50 -- a year-long campaign to commemorate 50 years of tourism development in Singapore this year.

The events include a tour of the National Museum of Singapore to see the rotunda and dome, and a behind-the-scenes tour of Singapore Cable Car.

Unveiled by STB last month, Tourism50 also aims to thank local residents for their support through a three-phased plan of events, themed “Reminisce, Rediscover and Celebrate”.

Under the "Rediscover" phase, events and activities are designed to encourage local residents to experience again the sights and sounds of Singapore.

Singaporeans and tourists get to enjoy promotions and experiences offered by the arts, attractions, cruise and sports industries from April to October 2014.

The STB said it hopes to encourage locals to reacquaint themselves with familiar attractions, create new memories with friends and family, as well as build a better understanding and appreciation of the work and passion of the tourism workforce.

Some of the activities include a heritage tour at the Sun Yat Sen Nanyang Memorial Hall to, and an exclusive peek into the iconic rotunda and dome at the National Museum of Singapore.

Melissa Ow, assistant chief executive of the experience development group in the Singapore Tourism Board, said: "(It's about) presenting the variety of leisure options that Singapore offers, to Singaporeans, residents, and also to overseas visitors.

"A lot of Singaporeans may not realise that because there's such a huge variety of new openings and new attractions, that there's so much more that (Singapore can) offer in terms of experiences."

When the Singapore Sports Museum and the new National Stadium open their doors at the Sports Hub, guided tours will be offered in September. The tours will be led by local sports personalities such as former national athletes James Wong and C Kunalan.

Hairani Hassan-Joshi, director of the Singapore Sports Museum, said: "(There will be) typical things you will find in any other museums, like workshops conducted for children, art and crafts -- but they are more themed and geared towards a sports environment."

In November and December, the final phase -- Celebrate -- will feature festive light-ups and events to bring the year of celebrations to a close, and set the mood for Singapore's 50th birthday celebrations next year.

More details will be announced at a later date.

~News courtesy of Channel Newsasia~

High speed rail terminals and faster cross border checks

Singapore. Malaysia discuss high speed rail terminals and faster cross border checks

Tuas West and Jurong East are two locations being considered for the Singapore terminal of the proposed high speed rail linking Singapore and Kuala Lumpur, said Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong on Monday.

A third option being considered is the city centre, though this will be more challenging to do because of the cost and land required, he said.

"I shared some of the considerations and possibilities with the Prime Minister, and this is something that we are working on and we will decide within the next year or so," said PM Lee.

He was speaking at a joint press conference with his Malaysian counterpart Najib Razak, wrapping up a two-day Malaysia-Singapore leaders' retreat here.

~News courtesy of Straits Times~

S$15m boost to enhance visitor experience

S’pore tourism to get S$15m boost to enhance visitor experience

Singapore's tourism sector is set to get a boost in enhancing visitor experience and capture growth opportunities.

The Singapore Tourism Board (STB) is setting aside S$15 million under a new fund to support associations representing tourist hotspots like Orchard Road, Chinatown and Little India.

The increased support comes amid challenges from domestic labour constraints and growing regional competition.

To help boost the numbers and support the drive for quality tourism, and increase spending from each tourist, the new Association Development Fund was launched by Second Minister for Home Affairs and Trade & Industry S Iswaran at the Tourism Conference 2014 on Monday.

"STB is setting aside S$15 million under a new Association Development Fund to build capabilities in the tourism-facing industry and precinct associations," announced Mr Iswaran.

“Our vision is for them to become key nodes -- in the network of collaboration across the tourism industry -- that can catalyse quality growth in their respective spheres of influence."

The initiative aims to help industry associations improve productivity and capabilities so that businesses can enhance visitor experiences and differentiate Singapore amid growing regional competition.

Groups that can benefit from the scheme include those which represent popular tourist hotspots, such as the Orchard Road Business Association, Chinatown Business Association, and the Little India Shopkeepers and Heritage Association, among others.

"We have been supporting them through the events that they organise,” said Oliver Chong, executive director of communications and industry marketing at Singapore Tourism Board.

“We are going one step further by building a fund that also caters to what they need to do in terms of infrastructure, capabilities and business process development; ensuring that they will be able to do a better job in terms of raising the capabilities of the industry as they are in a better position to identify the gaps and ensuring those gaps are plugged with the right programmes and initiatives."

Industry associations said the funding can help them improve the quality of their services.

Howard Lim, chairman of the Society of Tourist Guides (Singapore), said: "With this fund, we can bring in a trainer from overseas to come to Singapore. In the past, we can only travel out, and that's a lot of money concerned, and not so many people can benefit.

"This time round, with the fund, we can have more people, more tourist guides involved, so it's better for our tourism industry."

The Little India Shopkeepers and Heritage Association said that with the fund, it can hire people to initiate new projects and ideas to raise the attractiveness of Little India, among greater competition from new developments like Marina Bay Sands, Resorts World Sentosa and Gardens by the Bay.

Singapore welcomed more than 15 million visitors in 2013, up from some 14.5 million in 2012.

Yet, tourism receipts remained fairly stable at S$23.5 billion last year, growing slightly from S$23 billion the year before.

Slower growth in tourist spending comes amid challenges from domestic labour market tightness and rising external competition.

The government emphasises the need to work with industry entities to jointly develop ideas and differentiate Singapore from regional competition.

~News courtesy of Channel Newsasia~

International sporting events boost tourism

International sporting events boost tourism, says S Iswaran

International sporting events are important to Singapore's sports and events calendar, as they give tourism growth a boost as well as ensure participation from Singaporeans.

Second Minister for Trade and Industry S Iswaran said this on Thursday on the sidelines of an announcement of a sponsorship deal for the WTA Championships.

The WTA Championships will be held at the Singapore Sports Hub on October 17-26.

Luxury lifestyle developer SC Global Developments Pte Ltd will be the tournament's presenting sponsor for the next five years, the Women's Tennis Association said.

Several exhibitions and activities have been lined up for tennis fans during the duration of the tournament.

Singapore is the ninth city to stage the WTA Championships and the first Asia Pacific city to play host to the tournament.

Mr Iswaran said: "(It is) a good platform for our businesses to be involved, and for sponsors to leverage on the event in order to bring in their regional or international partners to come and be part of the event, and the process of business networking and so on.

"This is something we have seen, for example, in the context of Formula One, and the Women's Tennis Association Championship will give us a different perspective. It will appeal to, I think, a different segment of population as well, in Singapore and in the region, and so that will create new opportunities for our businesses.

~News courtesy of Channel Newsasia~

Battlestar Galactica may have heard its last whoop

Battlestar Galactica may have heard its last whoop


END OF THE LINE? The Battlestar Galactica ride at Universal Studios Singapore may be revamped as visitors "cannot relate to the current theme". Shut for the past nine months, the ride boasts sharp turns and vertical loops and can hit 90kmh. (FILE PHOTO: BERITA HARIAN)

BATTLESTAR Galactica, the star roller-coaster ride at Universal Studios Singapore (USS), may soon be history.

The outdoor attraction is said to be undergoing an overhaul, some nine months after it was shut down.

Sources said the theme park is looking to replace the sci-fi-themed ride, which is based on the hit television series Battlestar Galactica, with another movie theme.

The revamped ride is expected to get a new name, new interiors and a fresh coat of paint, among other proposed changes.

The new ride is slated to be launched by the end of this year.

In response to queries from MyPaper, Resorts World Sentosa, which manages USS, said that Battlestar is "unavailable as it undergoes an attraction review". It declined to elaborate.

Billed as the world's tallest pair of duelling roller coasters, dubbed Human and Cylon, the 90-second ride has sharp turns, vertical loops and can go as fast as 90kmh.

Sources told MyPaper that the ride is being overhauled because visitors "cannot relate to the current theme".

One of them said: "They (the visitors) don't even know it's called Battlestar Galactica. People know it only as the blue track and red track."

The latest suspension is unlike the previous closure in March 2010, when a seat had fallen off during a routine test. No one was hurt in the incident.

It reopened after nearly a year of investigations, redesign, reassembly and testing.

MyPaper understands that, this time round, Battlestar's closure was planned.

Singapore Polytechnic marketing and retail lecturer Amos Tan said that visitors, who were disappointed by the prolonged closure of the popular roller-coaster ride, may not want to return.

"If this particular ride always has problems, it will be good for them to change to something more relevant."

He added: "A theme is very, very important. Theme parks' (revenue) relies a great deal on merchandise...You would want a piece of Sesame Street, Toy Story, but Battlestar Galactica doesn't sound like something you take home."

Executive Jolene Koh, 25, who went to USS for the first time in January, said: "I was quite disappointed. It's supposed to be a highlight of USS. I think it hypes up the atmosphere with people on the roller coaster screaming in the background. It's less of a theme park without that."

~News courtesy of My Paper~