25 individuals and organisations were honoured at the Singapore Tourism Awards 2023 for delivering exceptional experiences and demonstrating enterprise excellence since tourism resumed in full in the previous year.
The Singapore Tourism Awards, which are presented by the Singapore Tourism Board (STB), aim to increase the sector’s competitiveness by incentivizing individuals and businesses to create compelling experiences and implement best practises. Winners[1] were chosen from 90 finalists[2] in the Experience Excellence (Leisure/MICE), Enterprise Excellence, and Customer Service Excellence categories.
Mr. Keith Tan, Chief Executive Officer of the STB, stated, “I congratulate all our award recipients and finalists for their outstanding achievements. Their efforts have strengthened Singapore’s tourism sector and enhanced the experiences of visitors to Singapore. I hope their achievements will inspire others in the tourism sector to step up and perform even better in the future.”
Lifetime Accomplishment for Extraordinary Contribution to Tourism
Mr. George Tanasijevich, former President and Chief Executive Officer/Managing Director of Marina Bay Sands, received the highest honour bestowed by the Awards: Lifetime Achievement for Outstanding Contribution to Tourism. In 2006, he spearheaded the successful proposal by Las Vegas Sands Corporation to develop the Marina Bay Sands integrated resort. It is now one of the world’s most renowned tourist destinations, generating high-quality employment for Singaporeans and substantial economic benefits.
Honouring excellence in tourism
Additionally, 24 individuals and organisations were recognised for their achievements in Experience Excellence (Leisure/MICE), Enterprise Excellence, and Customer Service Excellence.
In particular, Avatar: The Experience received the Outstanding Attraction Experience award in the Experience Excellence (Leisure) category. It immersed visitors in the world of “Pandora” while providing an “eco-smart tourable experience” that is transportable and reusable, thereby reducing its overall carbon footprint.
Kayak Fishing Outstanding Tour Experience was awarded to Fever’s Kayak Sailing in Singapore, Mangrove and Culinary Adventure for bringing guests close to Pulau Ubin’s natural ecosystem and habitats while providing an uncommon glimpse of island life.
Blue Smoke has been awarded Outstanding Casual Dining Experience for its innovative concept of an open wood and charcoal fire smokehouse and grill while creating distinctively Asian flavours at the heart of Nanyang Teochew cuisine.
Informa’s Food & Hotel Asia (FHA) received the Outstanding Business Event award in the Experience Excellence (MICE) award category for transforming FHA 2022 into two tradeshows. It attracted a large audience, making it the most attended Food and Hospitality event in Asia.
Sands Expo and Convention Centre (Marina Bay Sands) received the Outstanding Event Venue Experience distinction for transforming Marina Bay Sands from a single-venue destination to a vibrant and integrated precinct. It has also received the Exceptional Achievement[3] award for three consecutive years of Outstanding Event Venue Experience.
Mandai Wildlife Group received the Outstanding Achievement in Sustainability award in the category of Enterprise Excellence for demonstrating leadership in conservation and sustainability. In order to safeguard biodiversity, the organisation prioritised enhancing local habitats and ecological connectivity at Mandai Wildlife Reserve. It also reduced single-use plastics in parks by 80 percent and converted its trams and buggies to operate on electricity.
Sentosa Development Corporation’s (SDC) Discovery Neverending NFTs was recognised as an Outstanding Marketing Idea because it effectively increased brand awareness and engagement by capitalising on the prevalence of non-fungible tokens (NFT) among their target segments. The innovative marketing strategy, which included a clear analysis and mapping of audience behaviour, increased sign-ups for SDC’s loyalty programme and garnered high participation, with their social channels receiving 1.96 million impressions.
Resorts World Sentosa was recognised as an Outstanding Employer (previously the Exemplary Employer award) for its structured talent management and development strategy. The organisation completed nearly 300,000 training hours in 2022 and implemented a tiered framework for skill allowances. In addition, the organisation has a dedicated Innovation Department to assist and collaborate with other departments on innovation and work processes.
New honour for Outstanding Wellness Experience
The Outstanding Wellness Experience award was introduced this year in accordance with STB’s goal for Singapore to become an urban wellness refuge and to expand our tourism offerings in this field. Xiu Nature Connections was the first recipient of this award. Xiu Nature Connections has created a distinctive method for visitors to explore Singapore through its forest bathing experience, which takes advantage of Singapore’s green spaces. It also collaborated with organisations such as Far East Hospitality, Seek Sophie, and ClassPass to expand its forest bathing programmes globally.
Organised by the Singapore Tourism Board (STB), the Singapore Tourism Awards bring together Singapore’s tourism industry to recognise individuals and businesses that provide exceptional experiences and reach enterprise excellence. The Awards are an integral part of STB’s efforts to increase the competitiveness of the Singapore tourism industry by incentivizing organisations and individuals to create compelling experiences or implement best practises. For additional details, please visit www.singaporetourismawards.com.