Singapore ﹘The Singapore Tourism Board (STB) has partnered with Airbnb to co-promote and grow a range of unique and authentic Airbnb experiences on the Airbnb Experiences platform.
Experiences are a feature within Airbnb’s platform that facilitates activities such as workshops and treks, enabling bookers to immerse themselves in the host’s environment.
The partnership will have three pillars: the development of Singapore Experiences in the new tourism landscape, the co-marketing of destination Singapore, and the facilitating of data and knowledge exchange to enable effective tourism recovery.
For the Singapore Experiences, the two organizations have developed and launched Singapore Virtual Trips, a collection of online experiences hosted by Singapore tourism industry partners and featured on a dedicated landing page on the Airbnb platform. This first-of-kind destination page will also provide compelling Singapore destination content, offering international travelers an opportunity to explore the country virtually during this challenging period.
Singapore Virtual Trips features a wide array of online experiences, including a sustainability-themed tour at Gardens by the Bay’s Cloud Forest, a virtual visit to Peranakan home museum ‘The Intan’ with owner Alvin Yapp, an interactive bingo tour of the one-north tech precinct by Monster Day Tours, and a behind-the-scenes peek into the rich history of the Old Kallang Airport with Jerome Lim, founder of heritage website The Long and Winding Road. STB said that more tourism industry partners are expected to join this initiative following the first wave.
In a statement, STB said, “This partnership will encourage Singapore tourism businesses to take their products online and pivot towards innovative hybrid business models, as the industry reimagines the future of tourism.”
Deputy Director of the Cloud Forest at Gardens by the Bay Chad Davis, who will be hosting the ‘A Mountain Under Glass – Cloud Forest’ online experience, commented, “This is an exciting new way for Gardens by the Bay to continue to delight people, enabling us to connect with friends and fans around the world. I look forward to sharing my passion for our Cloud Forest and helping virtual visitors rediscover the region’s most extraordinary cooled conservatory through this unique virtual format.”
Beyond Online Experiences, both parties will also collaborate in the future to onboard unique and authentic in-person Airbnb Experiences across various categories, including dining, nature, wellness, and the arts. Aimed at the long-term development of the Singapore Experiences sector, both parties will work with local tourism industry partners to continuously offer differentiated and fresh experiences to travelers.
In terms of the co-marketing initiative, STB and Airbnb will jointly produce a lineup of co-branded content featuring destination Singapore and Airbnb Experiences, to be served across their respective platforms and channels. They also plan to make such content available to travel industry partners via STB’s Tourism Information and Services Hub (TIH).
In addition, both parties will work towards extending destination information, tools, and benefits to Airbnb Experiences guests – such as exclusive offers unlocked through sign-ups for the VisitSingapore app.
With data exchanges, on the other hand, Airbnb Experiences and STB will mutually share insights and best practices to grow experience offerings in Singapore and aid in strategic tourism development and recovery. To kick start this, Airbnb Experiences has invited STB to access their City Portal, a first-of-its-kind data-sharing platform built exclusively for governments and tourism organizations to equip them with travel insights and other relevant resources.
STB said, “Data and knowledge exchange will help both parties onboard more targeted Singapore Experiences, refining tourism products, and services in this new environment through a deeper understanding of the evolving traveler profile.”
Meanwhile, Senior Vice President for Policy and Communications at Airbnb Chris Lehane said that healthy travel meant to travel that keeps the economics local and is authentic to the culture of the destination.
“In the context of seeking to support such healthy travel, we are excited to be partnering with the Singapore Tourism Board to promote experiential travel in one of the world’s most vibrant and dynamic communities. I have personally enjoyed Airbnb’s Singaporean cooking Experiences and know that such Experiences unlock new ways to discover Singapore through its greatest natural resource – its people. And it is through using the Airbnb platform to showcase the incredible people of Singapore to the world that, working in partnership with the Singapore Tourism Board, we can help support the recovery of international tourism,” said Lehane.
STB Chief Executive Keith Tan also commented, “STB’s partnership with Airbnb Experiences is a timely one. As travel gradually resumes, we want to focus on strengthening Singapore’s brand image in the minds of audiences around the world, and ensure that our destination remains top-of-mind. This partnership will also give passionate Singapore hosts a world-leading platform to reach out to quality travelers globally, while helping them innovate and explore new business models. We are excited about working with Airbnb, and look forward to breaking new ground together.”
