The Sentosa Development Corporation (SDC) has launched a scheme to allow trial runs by local enterprises to be conducted on the island, announced key players at the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) Tourism Industry Conference on Tuesday.
The Sentosa x Enterprise scheme is aimed at driving innovation among local enterprises while enhancing the destination.
The first public call for the applications opened on Tuesday and will close on June 30. Proposals will be evaluated based on how innovative or novel their concepts are, and their ability to enhance focus areas including connectivity, guest experience, environmental sustainability and biodiversity, as well as digital solutions.
Two innovations are currently being tested in Sentosa: mobile augmented-reality wayfinding tool Fooyo and on-demand e-scooter solution Scootbee.
Chin Sak Hin, assistant chief executive, SDC said: “SDC is constantly on the lookout for novel and game-changing ideas that will help us further enhance Sentosa as a world-class destination.
“(With) more than 19 million visitors annually, Sentosa is an ideal testbed for innovators and companies to test the viability of business concepts and prototypes.”
If a solution proves to have high yield in Sentosa, SDC may consider adopting them on a permanent basis, confirmed Chin.
SDC is also an industry pilot partner for STB’s new Singapore Tourism Incubator, which will be launched later this year. Under this project, STB will work with local tourism players to test new transformational solutions and ideas that will help the industry “solve perennial issues or create new business opportunities”, shared STB’s chief executive Keith Tan.
Chin observed: “The tourism space is getting more disrupted. Travellers are looking for more experiences rather than just your usual sightseeing. Digital solutions will certainly play a big part in connecting our guests from overseas as well as locally.”
