Singapore tourism groups urged to work together

In the face of rising business costs, labour scarcity, digital disruption and increasing competition for tourist dollars, Singapore's tourism sectors are being urged to work together.

That was the message emerging from the inaugural SG Tourism Leaders Forum earlier this month, which brought together industry members as well as eight leaders of associations that representing attractions, hospitality, retail, and food and beverage.

Wong Soon-Hwa, Chairman of the Pacific Asia Travel Association’s Singapore Chapter, which organised the Forum, said that associations exist to serve their members and as a result, “sometimes we tend to work in silos”.

In a speech at the NTUC Centre, WOng advised “the tourism industry is a huge ecosystem and it requires the alignment of all players to make it vibrant and sustainable."

For some leaders, the Forum, which featured panels with association representatives and industry leaders, was their first get-together, with Wong explaining "this means that we have not done enough in the past to come together."

Topics discussed included industry challenges and opportunities for different sectors to leverage each other for growth.

Yeo Guat Kwang, Assistant Director-General of the National Trades Union Congress and supervising lead of its Hospitality and Consumer Business Cluster, said “the hard reality is that costs will keep going up”, and cost wastage is one area that must be looked at.

“In Singapore, we have too many heads, too many organisations and too many schemes from the Government,” he said, adding that the organisation of resources is key.

This year’s Great Singapore Sale, which will be revamped and shortened, was cited as one example of industry collaboration.

The Singapore Retailers Association (SRA), which organises the sale, has partnered with the Restaurant Association of Singapore and One Kampong Gelam, among others, to cross-promote the event and include more experiences when it kicks off in June.

SRA Executive director Rose Tong acknowledged criticism that the sale had lost its lustre.

However, instead of letting the 25-year-old event die, Tong advised that the SRA decided to refresh it with some support.

The Orchard Road Business Association’s Executive Director, Steven Goh, said the transformation of Singapore’s premier shopping belt into a lifestyle destination will also require close collaboration.

He advised “the big challenge with Orchard Road is that it’s dated and old, and connectivity remains a huge issue", adding that more attractions and museums would enliven the precinct.

With the foreign worker quota for the service sector set to be reduced, the need for a pipeline of local labour in the tourism industry was highlighted as a key concern.

But Kevin Cheong, Managing Partner of tourism and destination consulting practice Syntegrate, had strong words for educators.

Having been involved in the curricula ofat some polytechnics and universities, Cheong suggested “you’re teaching a lot of the kids what should have been taught 15 to 20 years ago, when it’s no longer relevant in the industry.”

Image: Singapore's Orchard Road.