Jane Iyer is the living embodiment of ‘Passion made possible’ – Singapore’s latest brand slogan.
While she has been in the tour agency business for only two years, her black-and-white houses tour clinched her the Singapore Tourism Award for Best Tour Experience at a ceremony held on Tuesday (May 8).
“I’ve been really passionate about Singapore’s history and heritage for a long time, so it just struck me that there’s a niche in the market, and a great way to really reach out to visitors,” said the native Brit who arrived in Singapore in 1963, and has volunteered with Friends of the Museums (FOM) and guided in three museums.
Having realised that more visitors are looking to “go into more depth” during their tours, Iyer incorporated interesting nuggets about the architectural features of the house, the context under which they were designed and built as well as how they have impacted various parts of Singapore’s history. “I really try to make it a holistic experience,” she remarked.
The annual event, graced by President Halimah Yacob, recognises exceptional achievements in delivering experience and enterprise excellence.
Familiar establishment Night Safari, with a reputation as the world’s first nocturnal zoo when it opened in 1994, took home the award for Best Attraction Experience.
Mike Barclay (second from left), CEO of Wildlife Reserves Singapore, receiving the award for Night Safari’s win as Best Attraction Experience.
Said Mike Barclay, chief executive of Wildlife Reserves Singapore, which also manages Singapore Zoo, River Safari and Jurong Bird Park, “The [Night Safari] recipe is a strong one. There have been quite a few copycats but they would have found us quite hard to emulate. We’ve been true to our core as we are constantly thinking of keeping things fresh, whether it’s by bringing in new exhibits or adapting to engage guests more.”
In the past year, Night Safari has introduced new packages such as the Gourmet Safari Express, VIP Safari Adventure Tour and a luxury tipi tent. To be more inclusive in the market, it also introduced multi-language trams – adding Hindi, Indonesian, Korean, Thai and Vietnamese (to the previous three languages English, Japanese and Mandarin).
Said Lionel Yeo, STB’s chief executive, “I am heartened to see many fresh and remarkable experiences delivered by our award finalists and recipients each year. It is our hope that their passion for what they do will play a part in the telling of the great Singapore story, of how passion is made possible through grit and determination.”
In addition to Iyer and Night Safari, 26 other individuals and organisations were awarded accolades at the ceremony.
The highest accolade of the evening went to Dr. Kiat W. Tan, founding chief executive officer of National Parks Board and Gardens by the Bay. He was awarded the Lifetime Achievement for Outstanding Contribution to Tourism, having played a pivotal role in Singapore Botanic Garden’s bid to become a Unesco Heritage Site and the conceptualising and developing of Gardens by the Bay.