Singapore is about to make a big splash in the wellness and motor sports arena, with two world-class attractions coming soon to the city.

Speaking at this year’s Tourism Industry Conference, Singapore Tourism Board (STB) chief executive Melissa Ow shared plans for this ambitious foray into the wellness market, with the STB recently launching a joint Price and Quality tender in April to call for proposals related to wellness and fitness lifestyles. This tender is due to close on 29 May.

STB will also be launching a tender for the development of a world-class wellness attraction at the southern coast of Singapore, close to the Marina Barrage.

“The global wellness economy has presented robust growth in the last few years, reaching US$5.6 trillion in 2022, nearly 14% higher than its size in 2019. In the next few years, it is projected that the wellness economy will reach US$8.5 trillion in 2027, with an average annual growth of 8.6%,” said Ow.

“So, I think there is tremendous potential for us to think about the opportunities that Singapore can tap into as this movement towards greater awareness and self-care going into the future.”

Rev up for Porsche Experience Centre

Iconic German marque Porsche is bringing its exhilarating driving experiences to the Lion City by 2027 when Porsche Experience Centre opens in Changi, marking a first for Southeast Asia.

Located adjacent to the Changi Exhibition Centre, just a 20-minute jaunt from Changi Airport, this lifestyle playground features a 2km handling circuit, accompanied by a state-of-the-art Porsche after-sales facility and an array of family-friendly attractions, from themed exhibitions to immersive racing simulators.

Porsche Experience Centre, set to open in 2027, will be the first of its kind in Southeast Asia.

In line with the Singapore Green Plan 2030's sustainable development agenda, the Experience Centre's fleet will prominently showcase a significant contingent of electric Porsche models, spanning both two- and four-door variants.

Once operational, Singapore's Porsche Experience Centre will become the brand's 11th such global outpost, joining an elite network spanning major metropolises across Europe, North America, and Asia, including Shanghai, Tokyo, and Los Angeles.

MICE industry “firing on all cylinders”

Earlier this March, the STB unveiled its new global marketing campaign with a lofty proclamation to position Singapore as the “World’s Best MICE City”. Today, Ow assures the industry that the phrasing reaches beyond mere aspiration, with record turnouts observed at MICE events and festivals in 2023 and earlier this year.

“We are well-positioned to capture travel demand, thanks to the industry’s agility and creative to transform and shape the tourism landscape of Singapore with us,” Ow stated.

In a bid to support the industry workforce, the STB will be enhancing the Tourism Sustainability Programme (TSP), providing more targeted support in the realms of sustainability certification, reporting and carbon management.

This support also extends to local leaders in the tourism sector – Grace Fu, minister for sustainability and the environment and minister-in-charge of trade relations, shared the STB’s plans to launch the Tourism Leadership Programme (TLP) by the end of this year to equip leaders with the necessary skillsets.

“One programme under the TLP is the Tourism Leadership Excellence & Advancement Programme (T-LEAP), targeted at C-suite, high potential leaders, and business owners of the tourism industry,” said minister Fu. “This programme will cover training in new areas like technology and sustainability; participants will also be part of the Tourism Leaders Network – a platform to encourage cross-collaboration and knowledge sharing.”

STB will first conduct T-LEAP’s pilot run in partnership with the Sentosa Development Corporation, offering the programme to tourism companies on the island before expanding it to other partners within the industry.

What’s ahead for Tourism 2040

With many countries looking to tourism as a key driver of economic growth and recovery in a post-pandemic landscape, competition for the tourism dollar is only going to grow.

Southeast Asia is on track to become the world’s fourth-largest economy, and the burgeoning upper middle class will bring with it affluent customers who will be seeking out travel and leisure experiences.

“Against this backdrop of increased competition and opportunities, the time is right for us to set the foundation for long-term growth,” she said, adding that Changi Airport’s Terminal 5 is set to be operational by the mid-2030s, further cementing Singapore’s air hub role and presenting new opportunities for the city-state.

“Tourism 2040 is therefore a planning roadmap to identify and align our efforts around new growth areas for the sector as we embark on the next phrase of our Quality Tourism journey,” said Ow, adding that STB will adopt a playbook that focuses on driving tourism through a yield-driven strategy as well as driving incremental growth through visitor numbers to sustain a baseload demand for tourism businesses.

“There will be a premium on what is intrinsically unique, and that which truly delivers quality and value. The key question for us is if Singapore will continue to appeal and win over our visitors.”