We also honour 24 service professionals for going the extra mile for their customers. They all serve at the frontline, working in different roles, from tourist guides to café managers. All of them had done their part to provide exceptional care and concern for visitors. One of them, Pugunes Visvanathan, was previously an Assistant Teacher in a special needs school. She decided to make career switch and joined the retail industry, and eventually found her way to Sentosa as a Senior Ticketing Host. While her career path has changed, she retains her sense of care and empathy. One time, she met a boy who was lost. He was scared and crying. From her past experience, she could tell that he was a boy with special needs. So she paid extra attention to comfort him, gave him a hug, and eventually reunited him with his mother. There are many other such heartwarming stories of individuals who have gone above and beyond, to deliver exceptional experiences to our visitors in Singapore. Thank you all for your contributions to our tourism industry!
Enhancing our Tourism Experience
We have come a long way in developing tourism in Singapore. But we cannot be complacent. Other countries are stepping up their game. Travellers these days have many options.
It’s not easy for Singapore to compete. In our immediate region alone, there are so many interesting places to visit. If you want nice beaches, there are many options to explore, in Indonesia, Thailand and Philippines. If you are interested in history, there are also many well- known heritage places to visit around the region. So, what can we do in Singapore? How do we compete?
First, we should build on our strengths. We can’t be all things to all people. We should focus on our Singapore Story – how people from diverse backgrounds have come together as one, and how we have worked together to transform this place from mudflats to metropolis. Interestingly, I found out that one of the most popular tourist destinations is at URA – the Singapore City Gallery. URA didn’t set up the Gallery for tourism purposes. But the fact that it is such a tourist draw shows there is interest in how we have developed as a nation. We should develop better ways to tell our Singapore Story. This is not about hardware and infrastructure. It is about better storytelling. How can we do that through our museums, our arts and cultural performances – so that visitors can experience Singapore in an appealing and authentic way.
Another strength is our position as a business hub. We attract many business travellers. We are amongst the most popular destinations in the world for business meetings and for MICE events. We should build on this and do more to encourage business travellers to come, and then to stay on and do some sightseeing after their work is done – visit our attractions or enjoy dining experiences across our wide range of F&B options, from Michelin-starred restaurants to hawker centres.
Our connectivity is yet another key asset. Visitors who travel from afar to our region will want to visit more than just one country. So Singapore can be a launchpad from which they can do short visits to other countries, either by plane, or even by taking a cruise from our cruise centre.
Second, we can develop more imaginative projects. We have a few new attractions in the pipeline – new entertainment arena at Marina Bay, new attractions at Mandai nature reserve etc. We are looking at major sports events. We are bringing more concerts and festivals. Key is to be able to synergise and pull it all together. That was what made our F1 so successful. It was not just a car race, but an entire weekend with many supporting activities around it – international conferences, concerts etc. We should adapt this same approach in staging other new events, so that they are not just done in isolation, but are curated as part of a vibrant year-round calendar of unforgettable experiences in Singpaore. That means STB cannot just operate on its own. It has to work closely with other government agencies as well as industry partners to maximise our overall efforts.
Finally, tourism, at its core, is a people business. All the best attractions, hotels and events will count for nothing without the human touch – in imagination, service and connection. We will continue to invest in our people to maintain our competitive advantage. MTI and STB have plans to better equip our tour guides, and also to nurture leaders in the tourism sector. They will share more about this in due course.
At the end of the day, the most important attraction is all of us.
We – Singaporeans – are all ambassadors of Singapore and we should strive to extend our warmth and hospitality to all our visitors. We should do our part to preserve Singapore’s unique culture and heritage and build a home that we can be proud of, both for ourselves and to showcase to the world.
Conclusion
Singapore has succeeded beyond all expectations. But we always be a little red dot – with no hinterland, and no natural resources. That means we have to constantly reinvent ourselves and find new ways to add value to the world and make a living for ourselves.
Tonight, as we celebrate the 60 years of tourism development, as we celebrate the achievements of our partners in the tourism industry, I hope we can inspire one another to keep on striving to do better and to bring Singapore tourism to even greater heights.
Thank you very much.
TH丨编辑
CH丨编审
新加坡总理公署丨来源
黄循财脸书丨图源
