Tag: Singapore Tourism Board

Singapore – Continuing on its ‘Passion Made Possible’ destination brand campaign, the Singapore Tourism Board has launched a global campaign bringing the island-nation to life with larger-than-life 3D billboards in the cities of New York, London, Shanghai, Mumbai and Jakarta.

The campaign, executed alongside BBH Singapore and The Shophouse @ Publicis, features the 3D out-of-home billboard that shine the spotlight on some of the country’s unique and multifaceted offerings and provides a whimsical take on three iconic Singapore experiences.

Choo Huei Miin, director of brand at Singapore Tourism Board, said, “Leveraging these immersive 3D out-of-home billboards, our aim was to capture the imagination of our travellers through transforming everyday moments into unique experiences Singapore has to offer to inspire travel. We hope this visual treat showcases the best of destination Singapore to the world and captivates audiences in key target markets with our vibrant culture, food, nature, and show-stopping futuristic landscapes.”

Meanwhile, Khairul Mondzi, executive creative director at BBH Singapore, commented, “This ‘global tour’ unveils to the world the essence of Singapore through a collection of experiences – iconic and lesser-known alike – in an unexpected, surprising way. Forget what you know about gardens, window shopping and performance art: STB’s new 3D billboards might surprise you in ways beyond the ordinary.”

Singapore – The Singapore Tourism Board (STB) and travel platform Traveloka have signed a new one-year Memorandum of Cooperation (MOC), renewing their longstanding partnership to elevate visitor experiences across Southeast Asia.

The MOC reflects both parties’ commitment to innovation and regional travel recovery, moving beyond the confines of marketing campaigns and placing focus on data sharing, new product introductions, and enhancement of visitors’ travel experiences across multiple SEA markets.

In this new partnership, STB and Traveloka will work on targeting consumers through insights and data sharing. Both parties will exchange insights to develop more targeted promotional campaigns and tailored travel experiences that can drive impactful outcomes.

Additionally, both parties will also explore the introduction of new Singapore products and experiences on Traveloka’s platform.

STB’s MOC with Traveloka further underscores its commitment to promoting its ‘Made in Singapore’ campaign that highlights the unique and unexpected experiences one can only encounter in the country.

Through the partnership, STB will introduce new avenues for personalised and tailored experiences that elevate travel experiences and showcase Singapore’s diverse offering to a wider audience.

The MOC signing marks a joint commitment between STB and Traveloka to invest in marketing initiatives that focus on Indonesia and expand to Thailand, Malaysia, and Vietnam. Among these marketing initiatives are hosting influencer familiarisation trips and developing video assets for digital and social media production.

The signing ceremony was officiated by Melissa Ow, STB’s chief executive, and Caesar Indra, president of Traveloka.

Speaking on the partnership, Indra said, “Singapore holds a prominent position as one of the top outbound destinations, as we saw a notable rise in search and transaction for all products from Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, and the Philippines of nearly 80% during 2023 compared to the previous year.”

“We are excited to continue our partnership with STB to bring greater value to our customers. We are committed to providing more benefits and fulfilling consumers’ holiday aspirations, including their Singapore vacation plans, and this collaboration marks an exciting chapter in enriching experiences for our customers,” he added.

Terrence Voon, executive director of Southeast Asia at STB, also said, “Traveloka has been an important and valued partner since our first collaboration in 2019. As travel continues to recover in the region, our partnership will help to unlock the rich tourism potential of Southeast Asia, help us understand our customers better, and strengthen Singapore’s position as a leading destination for regional travellers.”

Prior to this partnership renewal, STB previously partnered with Traveloka and Trans Digital Media in 2022 for its ‘SingapoReimagine’ recovery campaign that welcomes Indonesian travellers to Singapore after the pandemic.

Singapore – The Singapore Tourism Board (STB), Marina Bay Sands, and UOB have spearheaded a first-of-its-kind partnership to enliven the Marina Bay precinct for locals and tourists. This partnership will focus on introducing appealing lifestyle and entertainment programming for the Bay.

These includes the launch of over 50 exclusive experiences across hotels, attractions, retail shops and dining establishments, in partnership with more than 19 precinct stakeholders.

In addition, this builds on the marketing efforts of all three parties – including STB’s Made in Singapore global brand campaign, Marina Bay Sands’ Bay Precinct Strategy, and UOB’s strategy to provide exclusive access to the best travel, shop, dine and entertainment events across ASEAN – to form a compelling tourism narrative for visitors.

Alongside these engaging programming, this partnership will include a marketing campaign “Masterpieces. Made in Singapore,” leveraging STB’s global campaign that highlights how the ordinary is made extraordinary through a rich tapestry of unique and unexpected experiences made possible only in Singapore. 

The campaign communications will go out to key source markets such as Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam, and post-arrival visitors already in Singapore. 

Kenneth Lim, assistant chief executive of marketing group at Singapore Tourism Board, said, “We are delighted to partner with Marina Bay Sands and UOB to collaborate with the wider Marina Bay precinct partners to enhance the vibrancy of the Marina Bay precinct by offering a series of unique experiences for visitors to enjoy. This partnership aims to excite and inspire our visitors to explore more of what Singapore has to offer.”

Meanwhile, Irene Lin, senior vice president and chief marketing officer (resort marketing) at Marina Bay Sands, commented, “The Marina Bay precinct has the potential to be a canvas for cutting-edge lifestyle programming, with its diversity of hotel, attractions, retail and dining partners located in close proximity to our integrated resort. The partnership with STB and UOB allows us to further develop our first-in-class Bay Precinct Strategy, which offers business travellers a richer and varied bleisure experience.”

Lastly, Jacquelyn Tan, UOB’s Head of Group Personal Financial Services, said, “UOB is honoured to be a part of this groundbreaking partnership. As the leader in billings for consumer credit cards in ASEAN, we look forward to offering our cardholders across the region an unforgettable experience at the Marina Bay precinct. Whether it be dining, attractions, retail or entertainment, UOB is proud to showcase Singapore’s finest offerings through this partnership.”

The partnership takes flight in February with a spectacular waterfront drone light show at the Bay, in celebration of Lunar New Year. Titled “The Legend of the Dragon Gate”, the show will present the story of the mythical Dragon King, brought to life through 1,500 drones set against the iconic Singapore skyline. Themes of family reunion and perseverance, as well as symbols of luck and prosperity, will feature prominently in the show.

In addition, to complement the drone extravaganza and further enrich the visitor experience around the Bay, the three partners have curated attractive promotions for UOB cardholders in Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

Singapore – Google and the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) have officially unveiled the expansion of their augmented reality (AR) guided tour ‘Merli’s Immersive Adventure’ with new iconic landmarks in Singapore.

Powered by Google’s ‘ARCore Geospatial AI’ that can build location-based AR experiences, travellers can now discover and experience more of Singapore’s landmarks virtually at the touch of their fingertips through Merli’s Immersive Adventure.

Merli, Singapore’s tourism mascot, will guide travellers on a tour through six enchanting stops in the popular tourism precincts of Singapore’s Civic District and Chinatown. With just their mobile devices, tourists and residents alike can uncover the country’s historical, cultural, and culinary experience and interact with the nuances of its heritage and modernity.

Tourists and residents alike can now immerse themselves in Singapore’s landmarks and cultural heritage through their mobile devices.

Amongst the new landmarks included in Merli’s Immersive Adventure is Singapore’s first-ever post office, now the iconic Fullerton Hotel, where travellers can send out some virtual postcards to their loved ones.

The expanded map also included the Great Emporium stop, where the life-sized bumboat is brought to life in AR and tourists can learn about the significance of the Singapore River for the city and its people.

Merli also uncovers hidden spots like the Peranakan Tile Gallery, a local Chinatown business that sells tiles salvaged from demolished shophouses. Lastly, the tour includes an AR map for popular food spot offers and must-try hawker dishes at Maxwell Food Centre.

Google and STB share a common vision of helping people explore destinations in more than one way. By leveraging Google’s immersive technology, they were able to lower the barriers of entry and provide an AR map that people can use to travel to destinations without having to be physically there.

Simon Ang, STB director for The Collaboratory, said, “STB actively looks for possible tourism use cases in emerging technologies like Extended Reality (XR). We’ll always be open to piloting new technologies to create novel experiences for visitors and are excited to be working with Google to pioneer this movement.”

Merli’s Immersive Adventure can be accessed through the Visit Singapore Travel Guide app. 

Singapore – Global travel service provider Trip.com and the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to renew their global partnership for three years. 

Under the MOU, both parties will expand their collaboration and embark on joint campaigns to boost inbound travel to Singapore and promote more in-depth and lesser-known tours and experiences in Singapore. 

In addition, Trip.com Group will also leverage its expertise and resources to promote Singapore’s MICE offerings and explore digital innovations that enhance visitors’ experience in Singapore.

Both parties will launch marketing campaigns in mainland China and other key markets including Hong Kong, Malaysia, Thailand and Korea, and also promote the various offerings, experiences and activities in Singapore, including new products relating to wellness and sustainability. Trip.com Group will also customise new itineraries for specific groups of travellers, including families, with the objective of enhancing their experience in Singapore.

Melissa Ow, chief executive at Singapore Tourism Board, said, “The STB and Trip.com Group have forged a longstanding partnership since 2012. Moving forward, we endeavour to deepen our collaboration to elevate Singapore’s status as a leading destination for leisure and MICE travellers. Additionally, we will expand the scope of our partnership to include exchanges on digital solutions and innovation, and jointly develop more in-depth travel products to diversify our destination offerings.”

Meanwhile, Jane Sun, chief executive officer at Trip.com Group, commented, “Singapore has always been one of the most popular destinations for Chinese and other international tourists, and we have been collaborating with the STB to promote tourism and showcase the beauty of this beautiful country.”

She added, “Hosting our annual flagship Global Partner Summit – with its over 2,000 delegates – in Singapore earlier this week reflects our commitment to the local tourism sector and we will utilise our strengths, including content marketing, AI and innovation, to further strengthen Singapore’s position as a destination of choice.”

Singapore – The Singapore Tourism Board (STB) has unveiled its new global campaign ‘Made in Singapore’, which invites the world to Singapore, where things are made a little unexpected, and where typical tourist experiences are seen in a different light in the country.

‘Made in Singapore’ replaces STB’s ‘SingapoReimagine’ international recovery campaign launched in November 2020 to rekindle passion for travel in Singapore.

Conceptualised alongside Publicis Groupe Singapore, the campaign puts a fresh spin on STB’s Passion Made Possible destination brand by spotlighting quintessentially Singapore experiences, from iconic attractions to hidden gems, that turn ordinary moments into extraordinary ones. 

From ‘forest bathing’ at the unexpected setting of Jewel Changi Airport’s Rain Vortex, to working up a sweat dining at Lau Pa Sat hawker centre and witnessing a colourful ‘air show’ at the all-new Mandai Bird Paradise, Singapore turns imagination into inspiring travel experiences.

Moreover, the campaign also aims to keep Singapore top of mind and in conversations by showcasing the country’s key attributes: an inspiring City in Nature that is not only vibrant and cosmopolitan but also rooted in open, multicultural heritage – a place where unexpected twists on familiar moments are made possible.

The campaign is launched with a film directed by Singaporean filmmaker Martin Hong, best known for his music videos with international artists such as Billie Eilish.

Kenneth Lim, assistant chief executive for marketing group at STB, said, “The Made in Singapore campaign is anchored on our Passion Made Possible destination brand, which embodies the Singapore spirit of fulfilling individual passions and creating new possibilities. Through this latest campaign, we would like to reinforce Singapore as a destination that turns imagination into reality. Our goal is to showcase how everyday ordinary moments are made extraordinary and unforgettable, experienced only in Singapore – to inspire travel here.”

Meanwhile, Janson Choo, executive creative director at BBH Singapore and The Shophouse @ Publicis, commented, “One thing we can proudly say about Singapore is that we make things happen. This spirit has turned us into a rather extraordinary place, never settling for the familiar, constantly pushing to be better and, essentially, making imagination come to life. If we can think it, we can do it. And through this campaign, we hope this passion of making things happen can inspire travellers to want to see our imaginative experiences in the flesh.”

‘Made in Singapore’ will roll out across key markets globally including China, India, Indonesia, South Korea, the United Kingdom, and the United States, amongst others. Anchored on the film, the full-funnel campaign incorporates activations, brand partnerships, and always-on paid media. Crucially, collaborations with content creators and influencers will engage interest communities and build talkability about Singapore as an unforgettable destination, while two social-first content series are on the horizon.

Singapore – The Singapore Tourism Board (STB) has announced the launch of its immersive experience ‘Singapore Wonderland’ on the popular sandbox game Roblox. Said experience is part of STB’s efforts to reach new audiences in innovative ways, and allows users to experience Singapore as they accomplish various tasks in a virtual world.

The tourism board has teamed up with Publicis’ gaming specialist Publicis Play and Roblox developer Wonder Works Studio to develop the immersive experience over five months. 

Singapore Wanderland puts a playful spin on real-life attractions in three mini-games, where players earn magic orchids to transform a garden with STB’s destination mascot Merli. Gardens by the Bay, Mandai Wildlife Reserve and Marina Bay Sands are featured in the mini-games, alongside iconic attractions such as the Merlion Park, Singapore Flyer, Adventure Cove Waterpark and The Fullerton Hotel Singapore.

Moreover, the experience is based on popular entertainment formats on Roblox, and aims to drive affinity for Singapore by featuring elements inspired by the country’s destination icons. 

For example, users can express themselves through fun personalisation options. They can amass virtual collectibles to customise their avatars, such as a Supertree hat, a Singapore Flyer Backpack and a Lotus race car.

Kenneth Lim, assistant chief executive for marketing group at Singapore Tourism Board, said, “STB is constantly exploring creative ways and fresh channels to engage new audiences and connect with potential travellers. Singapore Wanderland demonstrates how we push the boundaries of innovation while inspiring travel to Singapore. We welcome visitors to explore Singapore virtually, and for tourism partners to collaborate with us in the virtual world to create impact in the real world.”

Singapore – The Singapore Tourism Board (STB) has teamed up with creative agency TBWA\Singapore in conceptualising ‘Here is SG’: a sculpture that symbolises the newest representation of the Singapore’s Destination Brand – ‘Passion Made Possible’.

The sculpture is a joint effort by local talents from contemporary art and design collective PHUNK, urban greening specialists Greenology and design-to fabrication consultancy Superstructure.

It features the SG Mark and Singapore Tourism Board’s Passion Made Possible brand – which articulates the stories on Singapore, its endless possibilities, and the passions of Singaporeans. Coupled with the vision to encourage user-generated content by the public and inspire travellers to visit Singapore for their next holiday destination, the sculpture is also designed to be more than just a brand installation and a new photo taking opportunity.

“Opportunities were thoroughly examined, and strategic considerations were included in the creative proposal to enhance placemaking efforts and encourage exploration of tourism precincts, promote positive interactions, and serve as an anchor of identity and community bonds,” the agency said.

They added, “As a young nation with few natural resources, Singapore has always depended on the tenacity and resourcefulness of its citizens – this was the root of TBWA\Singapore’s innovative creative idea to use the deconstructed Trust Mark as a representative of people coming together from all walks of life, and forging a national identity amid diversity.”

The sculpture, which opened to the public on August 15, seeks to strategically shape the physical and social character of the area around arts and cultural activities, and bring diverse people together to celebrate, inspire and be inspired. 

Manila, Philippines – Ant Group, the owner and operator of Alipay, has expanded its partnership with Singapore Tourism Board (STB) to make cross-border travel to Singapore more seamless and convenient. The partnership builds on the collaboration forged in 2019 and is focused on driving tourism growth in Singapore through a series of digital and marketing initiatives over the next two years. 

To strengthen Singapore’s destination appeal among travellers from Asia, including key markets like Malaysia, the Philippines, South Korea, and Thailand, Ant Group launched the ‘SingapoReimagine with Alipay+’ campaign with STB. As part of SingapoReimagine, STB’s international recovery campaign, it will offer fresh and innovative experiences to travellers from the said markets, whilst allowing transactions in Singapore through mobile wallets that consumers are familiar with. 

The joint campaign will also highlight exclusive offers to users of the six Alipay+ partner mobile wallets when they travel to Singapore. In addition, Ant Group will progressively expand the ‘Passion Made Possible Privileges’ (PMPP), a mini programme co-branded with STB to serve tourists to Singapore – previously available only on Alipay – to other Alipay+ mobile wallets. These initiatives aim to help Singapore businesses reach and engage a new pool of customers, increasing the visibility and awareness of Singapore’s tourism offerings for visitors before and during their trips to Singapore. 

As part of the partnership, STB and Alipay+ will also explore piloting digital solutions with local businesses in areas such as digitalisation of service operations, digital marketing efficiency and enhancing customer experience. 

The new mobile wallets accepted in Singapore are GCash from the Philippines, TrueMoney from Thailand, and AlipayHK from Hong Kong SAR, China, adding to existing partners Kakao Pay from South Korea, Touch ’n Go eWallet from Malaysia and Alipay from the Chinese Mainland. 

Angel Zhao, president of international business at Ant Group, said, “We deeply believe that the benefits of digital innovations can be amplified through open collaborations in the ecosystem. Ant Group is always open to join hands with partners such as STB to provide businesses, especially small and micro enterprises the best digital services, including payments and marketing solutions and we are committed to contributing to the digital transformation of industries and create greater value for societies.” 

“Amid the fast recovery of the tourism industry, we are excited to play a part in promoting Singapore as a top destination of choice for travellers and making travel safe, seamless and efficient through digital solutions like Alipay+,” she added. 

STB Chief Executive Keith Tan said, “Singapore has seen strong travel demand from Asia since our reopening and we hope our joint initiatives can grow and sustain that demand. The next phase of our exciting partnership with Ant Group will also offer a seamless experience when travellers visit Singapore, build affinity for our destination, and drive the digitalisation of our tourism sector.”

Based on STB’s data, Hong Kong SAR, China, Malaysia, the Philippines, South Korea, Thailand, and Chinese Mainland were among Singapore’s top 15 markets in 2022. Prior to the pandemic, approximately a third of Singapore’s visitors were from Southeast Asia, and another third from the Chinese Mainland and the rest of Northeast Asia. 

Singapore –  Building on their marketing collaboration agreement last 2020, the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) and travel booking platform Klook have partnered anew to drive travel recovery and promote Singapore as a destination, targeting travellers from key SEA markets including Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines, as well as Thailand, and Vietnam 

The partnership was launched in June 2022, and since then, Klook has been partnering with over 20 in-market Influencers/KOLs and content partners to create engaging and immersive content that will be customised to each market. To complement this and further drive travel recovery from these markets, Klook will also be giving away more than $60,000 worth of deals, promotions and giveaways for visitors to Singapore till the end of December this year. 

For additional information on in-market campaigns, five unique landing pages on Klook have been created to enable visitors to discover and book their trips seamlessly. These pages will act as a central repository for travel-related information, content, precinct itineraries, experiences, events, accommodation, and promotions – enabling visitors to travel with ease by having all the information they need at the tips of their fingers.

Moreover, visitors will be able to select from more than five Klook-exclusive Multi-Passes that centre around the themes of attractions, wildlife, playgrounds, adventure, and wellness. The campaign will also showcase the lesser-known and unexpected sides of Singapore with specially curated experiences centred around Singapore’s cultural precincts, like Chinatown, Joo Chiat/Katong, and Kampong Gelam, as well as Little India.

Marcus Yong, Klook’s vice president of marketing for APAC, commented they are excited to partner with STB to drive travel interest and invite visitors to experience Singapore’s reimagined offerings. 

“As travel roars back, we want to continue to enable travellers in Southeast Asia to experience a sense of joy and wanderlust when they visit Singapore. As Asia-Pacific’s leading travel and leisure e-commerce platform, we are uniquely placed to help drive demand back to Singapore and lead travel recovery,” said Yong.

Meanwhile, John Gregory Conceicao, STB’s executive director for SEA, shared they have seen strong demand for travel to Singapore from SEA since they opened their borders to fully-vaccinated travellers without testing or quarantine. 

“Visitors from Southeast Asia accounted for nearly half of all international visitor arrivals in Singapore for the first six months of 2022 and continue to drive Singapore’s tourism recovery efforts. STB will continue to work with leading platforms like Klook to tap on new trends as we invite travellers to reimagine what Singapore has to offer,” said Conceicao.