The scheme will last for seven months, from December 2020 to end-June 2021
By Tiffany Fumiko Tay, The Straits Times, 17 Sep 2020
Singaporeans aged 18 and above this year will receive $100 each to spend on staycations, tickets to leisure attractions and local tours, in a move to stimulate domestic spending and save jobs in the tourism sector.
The digital SingapoRediscovers Vouchers will be accessible via SingPass from December and can be used to offset ticket purchases and hotel stays until the end of June next year. Permanent residents will not be eligible for the vouchers.
Adult Singaporeans will also be able to purchase up to six subsidised tickets for attractions and tours - each at $10 off - for those under 18.
Announcing the details yesterday, Trade and Industry Minister Chan Chun Sing said the duration of the voucher programme is timed to coincide with the March, June and December school holidays, and to spread out demand in between.
The initiative is not a social assistance scheme, he stressed.
"This is an economic scheme to help our tourist attractions preserve their capabilities that have been built up over the years while they consolidate capacity in the interim," Mr Chan told reporters during a visit to Jurong Bird Park.
The $320 million SingapoRediscovers Vouchers scheme was first announced last month and forms part of the Government's efforts to prop up the tourism sector, which has been decimated by travel restrictions amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
The vouchers, which will come in denominations of $10, can be used at all licensed hotels, leisure attractions and for local tours by operators that have received approval from the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) to reopen or resume.
There are currently 214 hotels, 40 attractions and 438 tour itineraries that have been given the green light to resume operations with safe management measures in place. They include Singapore's four wildlife parks, a number of activities and hotels on Sentosa and guided tours of Pulau Ubin.
STB also announced that tourist attractions can apply to increase their operating capacity to 50 per cent - up from the current 25 per cent - from tomorrow.
Gardens by the Bay and park operator Wildlife Reserves Singapore are among those planning to do so.
The move to get Singaporeans to support local businesses is gathering pace, with the latest move complementing the $45 million SingapoRediscovers marketing campaign, launched in July to promote holidays at home. The vouchers will provide added incentive for Singaporeans to rediscover their backyard, STB said.
Mr Chan added that while there are other support schemes for tourism businesses, the vouchers will encourage consumers to support fellow citizens employed in the industry.
He said businesses outside the tourism sector are expected to see a boost as well, as spending spills over into food and beverage, for example. "As to the exact extent of the catalytic effect, it will be a bit hard to predict at this point in time, but we hope that it is at least a few times what we have provided for in the Budget," he added.
The STB said specific details on how the vouchers can be redeemed will be announced in November.
It called a tender yesterday to appoint platforms to facilitate the redemption of vouchers.
While the tourism board expects that the redemption process "will adopt a digital mode by default", it will provide support for those who have difficulty using such methods.
Observers said the $100 credits will drive interest in leisure activities that Singaporeans may have previously overlooked, but operators need to boost their offerings to spur additional out-of-pocket spending.
FAQ: What you need to know about the $100 tourism vouchers
Vouchers are digital in format and will be in denominations of $10; more details on how to access and redeem them will be out in November
By Wong Shiying and Ng Keng Gene, The Straits Times, 17 Sep 2020
HOW MUCH WILL BE GIVEN?
Adult Singaporeans will receive $100 in digital vouchers in denominations of $10 each. About $320 million worth of vouchers in total will be given out.
WHO ARE ELIGIBLE?
All Singaporeans aged 18 and above this year. Recipients can buy up to six tickets for attractions and tours - each at $10 off - for those under 18. Permanent residents are not eligible for the vouchers.
CAN THEY BE USED ALL AT ONCE?
There are no plans to limit the number of vouchers that can be used in a single transaction, or to set out how they should be used. The vouchers can be spread out across separate visits, or used up at once on a staycation package, for example.
HOW TO REDEEM?
From December, the vouchers can be accessed through SingPass. But specific details on how to do so will be announced in November.
The Singapore Tourism Board (STB) said the voucher redemption "will adopt a digital mode by default". But the agency said it will provide support for those who have difficulties using such methods.
ARE THEY TRANSFERABLE?
This is unclear for now. Details are expected in November.
WHERE CAN THESE VOUCHERS BE USED? ANY SUGGESTIONS?
They can be used at all licensed hotels, tickets to leisure attractions and tour operations that have received approval from STB to reopen or resume.
There are currently 214 hotels, 40 attractions and 438 tour itineraries that have been given the green light to resume operations. These include Universal Studios Singapore, Jewel Changi Airport's Canopy Park and tours of Pulau Ubin and Kampong Glam.
While full details on where the vouchers can be used will be available only in November, here is a look at some tours and places that have been approved to receive guests.
Those looking for something unusual can consider Tribe's Chinatown Murders tour, where participants solve a murder mystery while learning about the area's history.
If you want to look at Singapore's skyline from a new perspective, hop onto a Singapore Ducktours amphibious craft for an adventure on both land and sea.
Adrenaline junkies can head to Sentosa to do a bungee jump at AJ Hackett, or take a turn in iFly Singapore's indoor skydiving tunnel.
For a pocket-friendly getaway, consider boutique hotels located in historical areas, such as Hotel Soloha in the Keong Saik neighbourhood or The Sultan in Kampong Glam.
Check the STB website for more attractions and activities.
Tourist attractions in Singapore can double visitor capacity to 50% as Singapore Tourism Board eases curbs from 18 September 2020
From tomorrow, such places can apply to raise operating capacity to 50%, up from 25%
By Tiffany Fumiko Tay, The Straits Times, 17 Sep 2020
Tourist attractions will be able to cater to more visitors, after more than two months of being restricted to filling just 25 per cent of operating capacity at any one time.
From tomorrow, they can apply to the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) to increase this to 50 per cent.
They can also seek permission to scale up the capacity at their outdoor shows to 250 people, up from 50 currently. But shows must be split into five zones with a maximum of 50 people in each zone and safe distancing between groups as well as zones.
This means the limit for their outdoor shows will be in line with the maximum number of participants soon to be allowed at approved Mice (meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions) events.
STB said yesterday that the easing of rules for attractions comes as operators have been effective in preventing and dispersing crowds, as well as maintaining high standards of cleanliness and hygiene.
All attractions have also introduced online booking systems that help to monitor and control visitor numbers, it said.
Gardens by the Bay is among the operators that are planning to scale up their capacity to meet an expected increase in demand when the $100 SingapoRediscovers vouchers are issued to Singaporeans in December.
Local support has been encouraging to date, with more than 480,000 recorded visits since July, said Mr Jason Koo, its director for attractions operations and visitor services.
Crowds will continue to be managed through the use of timed-entry tickets which must be pre-purchased online, he said.
Gardens by the Bay will also be bringing back programmes such as the Mid-Autumn Festival light-up and Christmas floral display at the Flower Dome, albeit on a smaller scale.
Wildlife Reserves Singapore (WRS), which operates the Singapore Zoo, Night Safari, River Safari and Jurong Bird Park, is also planning to increase capacity at its parks.
WRS deputy chief executive Cheng Wen-Haur said visitorship had dropped early in the year, as fears over the coronavirus led some to avoid wildlife parks. But it has since rebounded, with capacity maxed out on some weekends.
The added capacity allowance will "really help", he added, as many prefer to visit in the morning, while the later slots are less popular.
The larger audience size allowed at the parks' popular outdoor shows is also a relief.
"A lot of visitors have been disappointed because they can't catch the show" owing to the current limit of 50 people, he said.
Despite the pandemic-related setbacks, Jurong Bird Park is on track to move to the Mandai precinct in 2022, with the opening of the new Rainforest Park and other attractions in the eco-tourism hub to follow.
The new bird park will have bigger walk-in aviaries, new species, more interactive experiences and contactless touchpoints, Dr Cheng said.
* Singaporeans can redeem $100 SingapoRediscovers Vouchers from 1 December 2020 via booking platforms, counters
Singaporeans can make bookings till June 2021; physical counters islandwide for assistance
By Tiffany Fumiko Tay, The Straits Times, 24 Nov 2020
Singaporeans aged 18 and above will be able to redeem their $100 SingapoRediscovers vouchers and check their balance online from Dec 1, with physical counters to be set up across the island to help those in need of assistance.
From next month to June next year, eligible users can browse and book staycations, attraction tickets and local tours through five online booking platforms: Changi Recommends, GlobalTix, Traveloka, Trip.com and Klook.
Adult Singaporeans will also be able to purchase up to six subsidised tickets for attractions and tours - each at $10 off - for family members under 18.
The $320 million scheme, announced in August, is the first national digital-only voucher programme to be rolled out by the Government.
Providing details on the redemption process yesterday, Singapore Tourism Board (STB) chief executive Keith Tan described the development of the scheme as a monumental task.
"We have designed the redemption process to be safe, easy and inclusive for all Singaporeans, and we hope that they will take this opportunity to support tourism businesses while rediscovering what they love about Singapore," he said at a media briefing.
The vouchers, part of a domestic campaign to keep Singapore's struggling tourism sector afloat, can be spent on approved hotels, attractions and tours, but cannot be redeemed for cruises, retail shop purchases or food and beverage, unless as part of a bundled package.
Eligible products will be marked on the booking platforms with the SingapoRediscovers Vouchers icon, STB said yesterday.
After selecting a product, users will have the option of using the vouchers - which come in denominations of $10 - at the check-out page.
While SingPass verification is used to prevent fraud, data will not be shared with external booking partners, STB said.
Those who find it difficult to use digital vouchers can visit any of the 69 physical counters set up across the island for assistance.
Most will be located at community centres or within a five-minute walk from them, STB said. Booking counters will also be available at selected malls and SingPost locations.
The vouchers are non-transferable, STB said, adding that it takes a serious view of abuses such as fraud, profiteering and resale of the vouchers.
Those who abuse the scheme may have their vouchers forfeited, and may even be referred to the police, it said.
The tourism board will also keep a lookout for price hikes and other unethical business practices.
Errant merchants and booking partners face penalties, including removal from the programme, it said.
More than 200 merchants have signed up to offer products for redemption thus far.
A bicycle tour of the Pulau Ubin rainforest and Chek Jawa Wetlands, as well as hotel stays bundled with attraction tickets are among options that will be available for booking.
More deals will be rolled out through next June, Mr Tan said, urging Singaporeans not to rush to use the vouchers.
STB said it appointed third-party booking sites as redemption platforms to include as many merchants as possible and to ensure sound cyber security practices.
"The intent is really to help represent hundreds of these tourism businesses at scale, and a lot of the small merchants who may not have their own booking system. This is the fastest way to get it up and the most wide-reaching to be inclusive of all these businesses," a spokesman said.
The platforms also add value by providing physical booking counters, additional marketing resources and services such as shuttle buses for seniors, STB said.
Each of the five booking sites will have different offerings, giving consumers a similar experience to shopping for a holiday, it added.
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Redemption of SingapoRediscovers Vouchers -23 Nov 2020
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