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~
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~
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