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$34m fund to woo travellers to Singapore, Changi Airport

This article is more than 12 months old

With competition for the tourist dollar fiercer than ever, the Changi Airport Group (CAG), Singapore Airlines (SIA) and the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) have renewed their agreement to join forces and woo travellers, in their biggest commitment to date.

On the table is $33.75 million, pledged over the next three years to continue the promotion of Singapore as a destination and Changi as a stopover for long-haul travellers.

The commitment, announced yesterday, comes less than two years after the three partners agreed to set aside $20 million to support joint marketing and other efforts.

With fierce competition coming from Bangkok, Hong Kong and other regional cities, the next phase of promotions will widen the net to woo travellers from more countries, whereas the previous agreement had focused mainly on long-haul travellers from markets such as the United States and Europe.

Apart from promoting Singapore as a stopover, marketing programmes will also sell Singapore as a twinning destination. Twinning refers to travelling to two destinations on one itinerary; an example would be pairing a city destination with a beach getaway.

There will be efforts to woo businesses and visitors from the Mice (meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions) sector to hold events here.

The partnership will also refresh the Free Singapore Tour, which provides transfer passengers waiting for connecting flights with a taste of what the country has to offer.

The scheme will be expanded to include more authentic experiences based on travellers' stated interests, such as a foodie tour in which participants get to sample a popular local delight while taking in the city sights.

The free tour has been well-received, hosting 59,000 passengers last year, up 8 per cent from the previous year.

Changi's chief executive officer Lee Seow Hiang noted that the partnership has helped grow passenger segments, such as transfer traffic.

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