Singapore Tourism Board Launches New S$15 Million Business Travel & MICE Campaign

The Singapore Tourism Board (STB) yesterday announced the launch of a S$15 million campaign to draw more business visitors to Singapore. The campaign aims to generate S$3 billion in tourism receipts and increase business visitors to 1.8 million by 2005.

Named " Make it Singapore ", the campaign aims to reinforce Singapore's position as one of the premier MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conventions and Exhibitions) destinations in Asia by securing more MICE events for Singapore.

An attractive basket of incentives will be offered to entice decision-makers to make Singapore their choice destination. The decision to hold the event in Singapore must be confirmed by 31 December 2004, and the event must take place by 31 December 2007.

These attractive incentives include complimentary rooms from participating hotels, special discounts on food and beverage for functions, special rates from Singapore Airlines and STB's support for bidding, marketing and promotion costs.

A global print advertising and direct mailer campaign will target key markets such as the USA, Europe (UK, Germany), Asia (China, Hong Kong, Japan, India, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Singapore) and Australia. STB said that the global advertising campaign will drive home the message that Singapore remains THE destination of choice for leading organisations.

The Business Travel & MICE cluster is an important sector for Singapore and is expected to contribute significantly to Singapore's tourism receipts. In 2002, this segment attracted 1.5 million visitors and generated tourism receipts totalling S$2.2 billion. Given that Asia will be the engine of growth in the global economy, there is a huge potential market of business visitors to draw from.

Said Mr Lim Neo Chian, Deputy Chairman and Chief Executive, STB: "Singapore's reputation as a regional business hub and the benefits from the Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) signed present us with tremendous opportunities. Additionally, the business challenges Singapore has faced this year have resulted in industry players coming together and working closer than ever to help us overcome these challenges."

"It is thus timely for STB to roll out a global campaign for this segment to re-invigorate business traffic into Singapore and to increase its attractiveness and competitiveness as a premier Business Travel & MICE destination. We want to tell the world that there is no better time for organizers and meeting planners to confirm their events in Singapore." added Mr Lim.

Industry Participation Brings the Vision to Life

Numerous industry partners, including Singapore Airlines, Suntec Singapore, Singapore Expo and hotels have come forward to contribute their expertise and support the "Make it Singapore " campaign.

Said Mr Gerald Lee, STB's Chief, Business Operations: "They have been very involved in conceptualizing and developing the excellent and competitive range of incentives that are being offered. STB would not have been able to introduce this programme and roll it out so quickly without their commitment and support."

Mr Stephen Tan, Chief Executive of Singapore Exhibition Services, said: "Singapore is an appealing location for international exhibitions targeting the Asian markets. The city's central location, coupled with its reputation for strong security measures, efficiency and superior infrastructure make it an ideal host for foreign companies and business travellers."

Mr Pakir Singh, Chief Executive of the Singapore Hotel Association (SHA) said: "Business visitors to our hotels in Singapore have consistently given top marks for our facilities and service standards because our hotels understand the needs of business visitors and continually strive to exceed their expectations."

Ms Janet Tan-Collis, CEO of East West Executive Travellers, a leading destination management company said: "For most corporate clients, Singapore is THE perfect MICE destination - a melting pot of cultures and traditions, with the highest level of efficiency and most modern facilities available. A unique blend of East and West with an environment that inspires confidence and a positive disposition in visiting MICE planners."