New Director of Singapore Tourism Board’s East China Office Assumes Post: Guan Shumin Says Incentive Travel Will Be a Key Focus

▲Singapore has undergone tremendous changes in recent years and has also invested heavily in attracting high-end travelers. (Photo / Courtesy of Marina Bay Sands official website)

Reported and photographed by You T-Ru / Taipei

Singapore has become a major hotspot for themed travel in recent years. Riding on the popularity of idol dramas and movie locations, it has given many celebrity-chasing fans reasons to visit. In this garden city no larger than New Taipei City, many tourists are drawn to its charms. Liu Aili, the outgoing Director of the Singapore Tourism Board’s East China Office, is set to step down and return to her home country at the end of November to report on her duties. The new director, Guan Shumin, has taken up the post. Regarding future tourism promotion efforts in Taiwan, Guan stated, “We will primarily focus on promoting incentive travel packages.”

Previously, there were speculations about Singapore “not valuing Taiwan” due to the absence of a booth at the Singapore Travel Expo. Today (25th), the Singapore Tourism Board clarified that the number of Taiwanese visitors to Singapore increased from 160,000 in 2009 to 240,000 in 2012. For this year (2013), the Board estimates that 280,000 Taiwanese travelers will visit Singapore. With visitor numbers rising steadily each year, the Board plans to introduce more diverse travel packages targeting the Taiwanese market in the future.

Guan Shumin, the new Director of the Singapore Tourism Board’s East China Office, who will assume her post on December 1st, said that in the future, the primary target for Singapore’s tourism promotion efforts in Taiwan will be incentive travel, with an emphasis on strengthening marketing in the business, education, and medical check-up sectors. By the end of this year, two new luxury hotels will also be completed in Singapore, and the six-star experience they offer is expected to attract even more visitors.

                        Guan Shumin, the new Director of the Singapore Tourism Board.%杭br type="_moz" />