Tourism Breaking News
The Singapore Tourism Board (STB) took its Indian travel partners on an immersive virtual tour of Singapore that is filled with fun experiences, ranging from a wildlife tour up close with animals to a mixology masterclass. The SingapoReimagine Virtual Experiences Familiarisation Day aimed to create a differentiated and immersive experience for the travel trade fraternity in India, and to reimagine and evolve their definition of travel. The event was held on the 27th July for travel agents from the South and West region and then on 31st July for travel agents from North and East India.
The tour kicked off with a virtual in-flight experience of landing in Singapore on Singapore Airlines, which was a much-welcomed throwback to the days of pre-pandemic travel. The agents went on to enjoy edutainment tours that were conducted by Wildlife Reserves Singapore, getting up close virtually with the animals at the Singapore Zoo, and a virtual stroll down by the Singapore River, one that was livened up by games, quizzes and nuggets of trivia by Monster Tours.
Guests were treated to a curated Singapore-themed lunch with a sumptuous spread delivered to their homes. They also toured the Brass Lion Distillery, a full-fledged working distillery known for its special Singapore dry gin. The highlight of this session was a cocktail making masterclass conducted by the Distillery’s brand ambassador and mixologist, Kino Soh, complete with specially-curated cocktail hampers delivered to the agents so that they could try their hand at mixing the drinks during the session.
Said Akhil Verma, Director – Brand Solutions, Tripoto Travels, “This SingapoReimagine event was brilliantly put together and showcased how technology will pave the path for travellers in the new age. The event flowed well, was thoroughly engaging and transported me to Singapore again.”
Sunita Amarnani, Vice President – FIT, MICE Operations and Trade Relations from Hyperlink Brand Solutions said: “The experience had me nostalgic for travelling to Singapore. While I have visited some of these places before, the depth and detail of the tours made me feel like it was my first time. I felt encouraged by STB’s call to reimagine, re-energise and reconnect. We cannot wait for the borders to open and to return to Singapore.”
A straw poll of all participants found that more than 80% of the agents would recommend such a session to their customers while physical travel is not possible. More than half of them would price such sessions to be between INR 500 to INR 1,000. These are good indications of how such virtual experiences may be positioned to interest consumers before travel reopens.
GB Srithar, STB’s Regional Director, India, Middle East and South Asia said: “STB continues to work with our partners to Chart our Pathways to Tourism Recovery. The SingapoReimagine Virtual Experiences Familiarisation Day was a great opportunity for us to connect with our Indian travel trade partners, and let them virtually experience Singapore and its offerings through a fresh lens, while we await the return of physical travel. We also see this as a platform to reimagine what travel could look like in the future. Lastly, as part of our #UnitedWeStand solidarity, STB acknowledges the adversity that our Indian travel trade partners have faced. We hope that this event brought some relief, good cheer and laughter during this difficult time.”
The virtual agent familiarisation event is the latest initiative by STB to connect with travel trade partners. It demonstrated how an immersive virtual event with a full day program can be creatively and seamlessly delivered while keeping the audience fully engaged and entertained.
