The Singapore Tourism Board (STB) is inviting Filipinos to take a glimpse of the Lion City’s attractions, food, shopping hotspots, and leisure experiences through the first ever Singapore Travel Showcase in the Philippines. The Singaporean tourism agency opened the travel fair on September 15 at the ground floor of SM Megamall Mega Fashion Hall in Mandaluyong City.
Singapore Travel Showcase will be open for free to the public until Sunday, September 17. The mini-fair, which is up from 10 a.m. until 10 p.m., facilitates various activities and programs that are aimed at enticing consumers to follow the realization of their various passions by experiencing Singapore.
STB Area Director Lael Loh (left), Singapore Ambassador to the Philippines Kok Li Peng (center), and STB Executive Director Edward Koh (right) officially opened the weekend travel fair.
During the opening ceremony held on Friday morning, STB also formally introduced to the local market its newest destination brand and campaign, Passion Made Possible, which was unveiled in Singapore on August 24 and has been launched in 16 countries (China, Indonesia, India, the UK, the US, and Australia, among others) globally over the last three weeks.
“Passion Made Possible is more than just a tourism destination brand,” said STB Executive Director for Southeast Asia Edward Koh during the opening ceremony of Singapore Travel Showcase 2017. “It is a reflection of who we are.”
“We believe we can be a destination for our visitors to discover new possibilities and fulfill their passions. It is no longer just about what our visitors can do in Singapore, but also what they can be in Singapore,” Koh added.
Are you ready to explore Singapore this weekend? Check out these activities throughout the three-day weekend travel fair:
‘Passion zones’
To further provide Filipinos with what passion to explore in the neighboring country, the travel showcase features three zones, each catering to various interests of travelers.
Try chicken rice, Kaya toast, and other signature Singaporean dishes at the Foodies area, which gives a taste of famed hawker centers. Discover more about Singaporean brands like Irvins Salted Egg Potato Chips, Benjamin Barker, and Naiise at the Collectors zone. The Explorers zone, on the other hand, features miniature replicas of Supertrees from Gardens by the Bay as well as a mini-maze modeled after the UNESCO World Heritage site Singapore Botanic Gardens.
Meanwhile, the main stage is where passionate guests would appear once in a while, including vlogger, TV host, and actor Mikael Daez. Entrepreneur-chef Nicco Santos will hold cooking demonstrations, while another entrepreneur, Andre Chanco, would facilitate coffee appreciation sessions throughout the weekend. There will even be fun games that will give out exciting prizes to winners.
Deals and surprises from airlines and travel agencies
For those who would instantly book flight tickets, Filipino carriers Philippine Airlines and Cebu Pacific Air are facilitating transactions for flights going to Changi Airport. International airlines JetStar and Singapore Airlines are also offering attractive marked down flight tickets to travelers.
Four travel agencies also put up their booths within the fair: Ark Travel, Pan-Pacific Travel, Rajah Travel, and Rakso Travel. Among the best deals available are 3D2N travel packages that cost at least US$115 (P5,750).
Guests who will actually book flight tickets or avail any of travel packages will be entitled to join the exclusive raffle, which is giving away 3D2N travel packages (with airfare and pocket money to explore any passion) to three lucky winners (one per day, daily draw set at 9:45 p.m.).
Passion Made Possible
The tourism brand aims to capture mindshare and establish an emotional connection between Singapore and travelers from across the globe. STB’s goal is to further increase the volume of tourists who come to the city-state. In 2016, Singapore posted a record 8% jump in number of international visitor arrivals to an all-time high of 16.4 million, almost three times exceeding its population of about 5.6 million people.
The Philippines was at No. 7 in the list of top origin of tourists who fly to Singapore in 2016. About 692,000 Filipinos went to the country that year, based on data released by STB. Indonesia and China were at the top spots on that list with 2.9 million and 2.8 million travelers to Singapore, respectively.