'Singapore Roars' Programme - The Next Phase of Recovery

The Singapore Tourism Board (STB) and the tourism industry today kicked off the next phase of recovery for the tourism industry when it announced the full details of the "Singapore Roars" programme which includes a six-month line-up of roaring deals and events, outstanding travel and accommodation packages, roaring "surprizes" for visitors and the roll-out of an intensive global print and broadcast advertising campaign to take the programme to the world. To mark the kick-off of the programme, STB is hosting a land and sea extravaganza party at the Merlion Park in Singapore.

Visitors to Singapore in the next six months can look forward to hundreds of great travel and accommodation packages offered around the world by the industry and supported by STB. Many of these packages are available at up to 50% off normal price and include airfares, accommodation, shopping vouchers and activities as part of the package.

In addition, when in Singapore, visitors will get an array of roaring deals with irresistible one-for-one offers on dining, spa treatments, retail purchases, tickets to major attractions and special offers at nightspots in all the major districts around Singapore. On top of the one-for-one offers, there will be monthly themed deals for visitors to enjoy.

Enticing visitors further is the daily Roaring "Surprizes" along Orchard Road where by participating in a game, visitors receive a guaranteed prize and stand to win air tickets, accommodation and more. The game in July is jackpot and will change monthly. Brochures highlighting all the deals can be picked up by visitors at hotel brochure racks and Singapore Visitor Centres as their special key to a roaring good time in Singapore over the next six months.

When they are not taking advantage of these, visitors can attend major roaring events ranging from arts and music, to festivals and sporting events.

In the coming months, Singapore looks forward to Ricky Martin's album  promotion visit, Sum 41 Concert, Live! & Loud concert featuring some of the top artistes and bands of the eighties, being a major venue for Elva  Hsiao's world tour, superstars from Bollywood and World Wrestling Entertainment, listening to the smooth sounds of James Galway and remixing it all with top deejays from around the world at ZoukOut with 20,000 clubbers.

The "Singapore Roars" advertising blitz will also kick off today with advertisements in global tourism trade publications, in mainstream media in Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, India, United Kingdom, Australia and Korea and further advertising in Japan, Hong Kong, China and the USA. The campaign comprises a mix of print, broadcast, online and outdoor media, and will run through to the end of 2003. 

"Encouragingly, strong signs of recovery in visitor numbers are already starting to come through. Based on arrivals in the first two weeks of June, overall visitor arrivals this month are estimated to increase by 45-50% compared to May 2003, on a seasonally adjusted basis. This means on a seasonally adjusted basis, we can expect 90,000 more visitors to Singapore this month compared to last month," said Mr Lim Neo Chian, Deputy Chairman and Chief Executive of STB.

The estimated increase in June over May's seasonally adjusted numbers includes strong percentage increases in the number of visitors from key markets such as the US (up 68%), China (up 80%), Thailand (up 116%), Malaysia (up 63%), Indonesia (up 21%), the Philippines (up 50%), South Korea (up 133%), India (up 35%) and Australia (up 33%). The largest  increase in actual numbers of visitors is expected to come from Indonesia, with almost 12,000 more visitors expected in June than in May on a seasonally adjusted basis.

"The visitor arrival curve is definitely starting to head in the right direction," Mr Lim said. " While we're obviously coming off a low base over the past few months, the roaring deals, events, travel and accommodation packages and other special offers, along with the global promotion campaign, represent  the most intensive tourism campaign ever undertaken by Singapore."

Over at the MICE front, uplifting news abound as Singapore sees the return of key exhibitions and conventions that were previously planned for in the second quarter of the year but had to be deferred due to SARS. These have now been confirmed for upcoming months, examples include Cards Asia/Information Security Asia 2003 (23-25 July), International Design Forum  (2-4 October) and International Conference on Materials for Advanced Technologies & IUMRS-International Conference in Asia (7 -12 December).

Singapore also continues to play host to many key exhibitions and conventions in Singapore. Some of these include:

- Global Entrepolis @ Singapore which will see approximately 4,000 foreign CEOs, entrepreneurs, innovators, venture capitalists, visionaries, senior managers from the United States, Europe, Japan, China, India and Asia Pacific fly into Singapore to participate in the event.

- 12th Teochew International Conventions which will see 2,400 Teochews from all over the world congregating in Singapore in November

- A once every 4 years meeting of the Asian-Australasian Society of Neurological Surgeons (est. 1,800 foreign participants) 

- Build.Asia Pac 2003 (est. 1,500 foreign delegates)

- InfoComm Asia (est. 3,400 foreign delegates )

"We are confident that the "Singapore Roars" programme will strongly encourage tourists to come to Singapore for a wonderful and fulfilling visit. Over time, this will further spur a sustainable recovery in the tourism industry," he said.

The extravaganza party held in Singapore to kick off the recovery programme, called "Singapore Roars - The Party!" is a symbolic event for the island-state and marks the next phase on the road to recovery for the tourism industry. Held at the newly inaugurated Merlion Park, the event is playing host to over 100 international tourism industry guests, media from over 30 international media outlets and thousands of visitors and Singaporeans. The party will witness a congregation of 118 wu shi (lion dance) for the first time and pyrotechnics and fireworks to thrill the spectators. 

"We are pleased to host the "Singapore Roars" party. We want to announce to the rest of the world that Singapore is back in action with even more to offer visitors. We are delighted that so many industry partners, guests, visitors, and international and local media can be present at this special event to witness the launch of the next phase --- that Singapore is roaring again as a key global destination," said Mr Lim. 

"The response to the SARS situation over the past three months has seen unprecedented collaboration between the Government and the tourism industry; from the installing of rigorous precautionary measures in public areas, to encouraging Singaporeans to step out and enjoy life and now, through this tourism recovery programme, reaching out to the world. The industry has come together, and decisively," said Mr Tharman Shanmugaratnam, Senior Minister of State for Trade & Industry and Education.

STB's "Singapore Roars" recovery programme is the latest phase in its strategy to deal with the impact of SARS. The first phase includes the implementation of rigorous SARS precautionary measures through the "COOL Singapore Award" at the airport, hotels, for ground transportation services and key tourism venues. The recovery programme also follows the success of STB's "Step Out! Singapore" programme which has assisted in  building the confidence of Singaporeans and getting the domestic tourism market moving again as Singaporeans have stepped out to eat, shop, attend major events and returned to living life as normal.