A NEW S$10 million fund for media featuring Singapore and rejuvenation plans for Orchard Road are among the Singapore Tourism Board’s (STB) efforts to strengthen the country’s appeal and make it top-of-mind for potential visitors.

The board will also support the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) to develop international sustainability criteria for meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions (Mice) and attractions.

Minister of State for Trade and Industry Alvin Tan announced these plans at the Tourism Industry Conference at Suntec Singapore Convention and Exhibition Centre on Wednesday (Apr 5).

The media fund, called the Singapore On-screen Fund, is jointly launched by STB and the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA). It aims to inspire global audiences to visit Singapore, through TV series and films.

Local media and talents will have opportunities to work with international counterparts, grow capabilities and increase global exposure, said Tan.

He cited Singapore’s support of projects such as the 2018 Hollywood film Crazy Rich Asians and, more recently, the hit K-drama series Little Women and HBO’s Food Affair With Mark Wiens, as examples of how branded entertainment can be a powerful tool to capture and grow mindshare beyond traditional channels.

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“With this joint fund, we hope to catalyse production of major film and TV projects set in Singapore, and made in collaboration with international media and entertainment partners,” he added.

The fund supports up to 30 per cent of qualifying costs related to featuring Singapore, including production and marketing costs.

Media conglomerates, major streamers and production studios that have “consistently delivered popular content for the global market” will be invited to apply, with proposed projects to be launched before Q1 2027.

Justin Ang, assistant chief executive of media, innovation, communications and marketing at IMDA, said the fund is a “useful pilot” to assess demand.

There are also updates to the rejuvenation plans for Orchard Road, first announced in 2019.

STB will introduce physical and digital features to help visitors navigate the precinct and discover places to shop, dine and play.

These may include physical “identity markers” to differentiate zones on the long Orchard belt, said STB’s deputy chief executive Yap Chin Siang. For instance, the Orchard Road strip is known for shopping, while Somerset is popular with youth, he added.

Information about places of interest could also be shared digitally, such as through apps, he said. STB will call for proposals for these “wayfinding solutions” later this year.

Tan said: “We will also install creative street furniture along Orchard Road’s pedestrian mall for visitors to watch the world go by, to enjoy the streetscape and also to find Instagrammable spots.”

In the private sector, the Orchard Road Business Association is developing a sustainability road map to reposition the area as a “leading and sustainable lifestyle precinct”. This will be aligned with roadmaps that the precinct’s businesses may already follow, in sectors such as hospitality.

STB is also developing sustainability standards for the Mice and attractions industries, to be launched progressively from next year. This is in collaboration with GSTC, the Singapore Association of Convention & Exhibition Organisers & Suppliers, and the Association of Singapore Attractions, and comes after Singapore’s certification as a sustainable destination based on GSTC criteria.

On Singapore’s tourism recovery, Tan noted that in March, monthly international visitor arrivals crossed the 1 million mark for the first time since the pandemic. STB continues to expect a recovery to pre-pandemic levels by 2024, as mentioned at its January year-in-review.

STB chief executive Keith Tan noted that Singapore received over 2.9 million visitors in Q1 this year. But to secure the future of tourism, the country must work on “redefining our destination, reconnecting with our fans, and reinventing our industry”.

The first approach means having “high-quality and first-of-its-kind tourism concepts” as well as refreshing existing offerings. He noted examples such as Bird Paradise and a new outlet of the Palm Ave Float Club.

Reconnecting involves ramping up marketing, with a refreshed “Passion Made Possible” brand campaign later this year. STB will focus on six “competitive positionings” for Singapore, including “World’s Best Mice City”, “Culinary Capital” and “Family Playground”.

As for reinventing the industry, Singapore must deepen the quality of its human capital, with a new Tourism Careers Campaign to inspire locals to join the sector. The tourism workforce has recovered to 66,000 – around 80 per cent of pre-Covid 2019 levels – as at December 2022.

Noting that many industry players still face serious manpower issues, Tan stressed the importance of productivity efforts. To help attractions on their digital journey, an Attractions Tech Roadmap will be launched in the second quarter of this year.

“If 2022 was the year of reopening and recovery, then 2023 must mark the year we return to our pursuit of quality growth,” he said.