1. Covid-19’s Impact on Tourism
Covid-19’s impact on many aspects of lives as well as business was significant worldwide. It was especially so for Singapore’s tourism segment where visitor arrivals to Singapore plummeted by more than 80% in 2020 with its effects hitting F&B establishments, hotels, retail and other entertainment/ leisure related businesses very hard.
On 17th August 2020, DPM Heng Swee Keat announced a further $320 million tourism credits in the form of SingapoRediscovers Vouchers to support the tourism sector on top of the various support schemes for tourism related businesses provided earlier in the year. These measures helped to preserve the industry and the capabilities of the companies in anticipation of the recovery.
2. The Recovery
Nearly S$500 million was set aside to support Singapore’s tourism recovery in 2022 and positive signs have been emerging since then. According to the Singapore Tourism Board (STB), Singapore’s 2023 visitor arrivals are expected to double to over 12 million and full tourism recovery is expected by 2024.
This came on the back of better-than-expected numbers in 2022, which ended with 6.3 million international visitor arrivals and estimated tourism receipts of $14 billion.Indonesia was the top market generating tourism receipts, contributing $1.1 billion in 2022. India came in second at $704 million, and Australia was third at $633 million.
The expected recovery in the segment is however, not without challenges, especially in the area of labour. Dr Michael Chiam, a senior lecturer in tourism at Ngee Ann Polytechnic, noted that factors such as manpower constraints – which continue to plague many industries – may curtail recovery.
“The challenge would be the ability to cope with the sudden jump in tourist arrivals, given resource constraints such as manpower and capacity, which may potentially lead to a struggle in catching up with the sudden increase,” he said.
3. Passion Made Possible
Singapore has a tagline - “Passion Made Possible” a motto unveiled by the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) and Economic Development Board (EDB) as part of a campaign to market the Lion City to travellers, businesses and consumers under a holistic and unified brand. The campaign showcases the fundamentals of the Singapore Story, and its cultural diversity, rich food heritage and the unique psyche of Singaporeans.
It looks like the campaign is paying dividends during the recovery phase post covid-19 with Singapore well positioned to capture the pent up demand for tourism from travellers around the world.
4. Careers in Tourism
Singapore tourism companies are well positioned to leverage on the sector’s recovery and will require talents to capitalise on it. A search on job portals such as indeed.com.sg reveals more than 50 job postings related to the industry.
Careers in the industry include positions such as:
Business Development Executive (Tourism)
Tourist Guide
Leisure Travel Executive
Customer Relations Executive
And more.
Exploring a course for your students in the field of tourism and hospitality? Enquire for more details with Mastereign’s Education Consultants.
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