IN A bid to reverse slowing tourism figures, the Singapore government today announced the launch of a S$20 million (US$14.8 million) global marketing campaign next month.
Intended to ride the wave of international interest on the nation’s Golden Jubilee – 50 years of independence this year – the campaign will run until this year-end, luring visitors with flight and hotel deals, retail offerings as well as entertainment options.
Lionel Yeo, Singapore Tourism Board’s (STB) chief executive, revealed: “We will be putting up attractive flight rates with airline partners, special dining experiences and special SG50 itineraries that include key milestones in Singapore’s history.”
The campaign, which will be marketed in key regions like Indonesia, China, India, the Philippines, Japan, South Korea and Vietnam, will coincide with the annual Great Singapore Sale next month.
Yeo added that hotel partners will also be rolling out a ‘stay two nights, get third night free’ promotion, with more than 20 hotels already expressing an interest in it.
According to Singapore’s second minister for trade and industry, S Iswaran, Singapore received 2.4 million visitors for the first two months of 2015, a year-on-year decline of about five per cent.
This followed bleak tourism performance last year, where total international arrivals in 2014 dipped 3.1 per cent to 15.1 million, from the record 15.6 million in 2013.
Iswaran said: “With an uncertain global economic outlook, intensifying regional competition and a relatively strong Singapore dollar, challenges will remain in the near term.”
Nevertheless, he added: “Outbound travel to Asia-Pacific is expected to continue to grow, so will intra-Asia travel, as Asian economies and disposable incomes rise. We must be ready to seize our share of this growth.”
With “modest growth” expected, STB is projecting between zero and three per cent for visitor arrivals, and between zero and two per cent for tourism receipts this year.
Just last week, the NTO had announced a new two-year S$35 million joint marketing collaboration with the Changi Airport Group.
