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SINGAPORE: Hotel, attraction and tourism companies are gearing up for the launch of SingapoRediscover coupons, with packages ready to roll out from December 1.
The Singapore Tourism Board (STB) detailed on Monday (November 23) how Singaporeans over the age of 18 in 2020 can redeem vouchers worth 100 Singapore dollars.
Coupons can be redeemed online through five authorized booking partners: Changi Travel Services (also known as Changi Recommends), Klook, Trip.com, GlobalTix, and Traveloka.
READ: SingapoRediscovers coupons can be redeemed from December 1
Singapore Hotel Association (SHA) Executive Director Margaret Heng said the vouchers “will go a long way” in boosting domestic spending at tourism businesses, including hotels.
“Staycations will not only help hotel establishments, but also potentially create spin-offs and increase national spending in other sectors of the tourism industry, including F&B, tour operators and retail,” Ms. Heng he told the CNA.
“It will encourage Singaporeans to support our tourism businesses hardest hit by the COVID-19 pandemic, including hotels.”
The association represents some 160 hotels in Singapore. Members are working with tour operators, local businesses and attractions in the surrounding area to offer blended experiences, Ms. Heng said.
SHA is also working with the hospitality industry to offer “value for money” package stays, he added.
The average occupancy rate for hotel rooms in September was 60 percent, “significantly below” the optimum level of 85 percent, Ms. Heng noted. Room revenue has “remained significantly below” last year’s level.
At the end of October, stays contributed to an average occupancy rate of more than 20 percent at hotels, Ms Heng said.
READ: Ready to explore Singapore? Here’s how to redeem your S $ 100 SingapoRediscovers coupons
Singapore Attractions Association Chairman Kevin Cheong told CNA that no less than 50 attractions will launch packages for SingapoRediscovers coupons. The association has about 63 members.
“Hundreds” of packages will be available, with “many permutations,” as attractions seek to bundle their tickets with hotels and other nearby attractions for different audiences, Dr. Cheong said.
Adding that Singaporeans are “waiting” for coupons, he noted that the number of Singaporean visitors to attractions has declined in recent weeks.
“I think there is a level of anticipation (as to) what the packages are, and Singaporeans will get on board and redeem the coupons,” he said.
Visitors display their secure entry inscriptions at the Singapore Zoo on July 6, 2020, its first day of reopening to the public after the attraction was temporarily closed due to COVID-19. (Photo: AFP / Roslan Rahman)
Most Singaporeans will likely redeem the vouchers for stays and attractions like Universal Studios Singapore or Night Safari, Dr. Cheong said.
“With coupons, it makes them much more accessible. But we are hopeful that … Singaporeans will access those online platforms and find out a little more (about other attractions), so the level of awareness is likely to increase. . “he added.
The Society of Tourism Guides (Singapore) is reaching out to members to invite them to participate in packaging travel with hotels, attractions and other tourism businesses so that they can “take advantage” of the increased demand for travel.
The society represents more than 500 STB licensed tour guides in Singapore.
“We have planned some trips, but we have not put (them) together for the vouchers at the moment, because we are open to working with hotels and other businesses,” President Jean Wang told the CNA, adding that it is difficult to plan for tours before they knew how coupons could be redeemed.
“(Compared to) a tour alone, we think it would be more appealing to include other elements – food and maybe other attractions.”
PLATFORMS WAITING TO ARISE IN RESERVATIONS
With the coupons only redeemable through the five authorized booking platforms, the platforms have started to receive more inquiries from customers.
There will be more than 200 activities eligible for use with SingapoRediscovers coupons on Klook. Most of them were already available on Klook before the coupons were released, said Southeast Asia Marketing Director Sarah Wan.
The platform expects “a big increase” in bookings, especially in December and January, he added.
“Usually we see spikes in school vacation periods, so we can anticipate that booking patterns should roughly match that,” Ms. Wan said.
“But for us, we hope that Singaporeans will also consider booking off-peak hours. We are working together with our merchants to make sure they have some more favorable priced off-peak packages to facilitate better social distancing and capacity management. “.
Many merchants are also trying to offer more innovative or value-added packages, he noted.
Police and social distancing ambassadors stand near a Universal Studios Singapore theme park sign on July 3, 2020, when the attraction reopened after being temporarily closed due to COVID-19. (File photo: AFP / Roslan Rahman)
READ: Comment: What Singapore Tourist Vouchers Are Really About
Traveloka is “very optimistic” that the coupons will trigger a “significant increase” in bookings, said head of corporate communications Reza Amirul Juniarshah.
To coincide with the validity period of the coupons, Traveloka will run its own campaign between December 2020 and June 2021, it added.
“Positive interactions are also seen in our social media posts and we are very excited to take an active role in reviving local tourism and we hope this program will be a success.”
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Trip.com Singapore CEO Ru Yi said they are prepared to receive 200 to 300 more inquiries from customers as coupons are released.
The platform expects demand for reserves to increase from December 1 and also in June, when coupons are about to expire, he added.
Local start-up GlobalTix has seen a “high level of interest” from merchants as they can engage customers directly through their own websites, rather than through a separate booking platform.
More than 100 merchants have joined, allowing customers to make reservations using coupons directly on their websites, said GlobalTix COO Chan Chee Kong.
“As Singapore are unable to travel abroad, we expect interest in domestic tourism to peak significantly. This peak will be largely on par with the usual peak seasons, including school holidays and public holidays,” Chan said. .
CALLING LOCALS
According to Trip.com data, Singaporeans who stay on vacation enjoy staying in rooms and opt for F&B and spa packages, Ms. Ru said. This is different from tourists who normally do not spend much time in hotels, leaving after breakfast and returning to the hotel in the evening.
“So when we pack the hotel rooms with meals, dinner credits, it is always very attractive to the guests. The locals prefer to stay in the room, enjoy the hotel facilities, enjoy the gym, enjoy the pool,” he added .
A bike tour organized by Let’s Go Tours in Singapore. (File photo: Marcus Mark Ramos)
Many locals “can’t imagine” going on a Singapore tour to learn about Singapore, Ms. Wang said.
Adding that the association hopes to put together something “unexpected” to snatch the interests of Singaporeans, he said: “For us guides, we can do very good tours and after that, (clients) can go eat on their own.
“But we believe that we will give them added value by introducing them to something (new). Because that is what they are looking for, a different experience.”
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Many attractions have never designed or developed activities primarily for the resident market, said Dr. Cheong.
“I think we are all approaching it with an open mind, to know what works and what does not. It is a learning curve for all,” he added.
“I think we can only thank the government for doing it (the SingapoRediscovers voucher program). If people are still not coming … then this is very worrying.”
COST MANAGEMENT
Although hotels, attractions and booking platforms expect demand to increase during peak periods, Dr. Cheong is “more concerned” about off-peak periods and weekdays.
“How can I run a business with all my rising costs? With 50 percent capacity constraints and only the Singapore market … you can’t compensate for the swings in traffic.
“And it is not possible that 5.5 million people will replace the 18 million foreign tourists.”
READ: Tourism companies prepare strategies to benefit from SingapoRediscovers coupons
In response to questions about whether commission from booking platforms or transaction fees would significantly affect merchants’ earnings, the platforms CNA spoke to said they are offering reduced fees for redeeming SingapoRediscovers coupons.
STB said Monday that it has secured a “much lower range” of commission rates for all merchants who will use the booking platforms to launch their SingapoRediscovers products. “On the citizen front, there is really no impact, there will be no additional fees or charges imposed on users for reservations,” he added.
Trip.com’s Ms Ru said the plan would “provide assistance” and help the tourism industry “recover faster”.
Klook “significantly reduced” their commission as they “are not really looking at this initiative for profit,” Ms Wan said.
“We are encouraged to see that this is going to benefit our merchants. Because we are a booking platform, our business model depends on the strength of our merchants. Our priority for this initiative is to ensure that merchants get the most of the possible support to overcome this period “.
