The company took home two awards for its Escape @ Science Centre (E.S.C.), and Curiosity Shop.
Science Centre Singapore claimed victory at the TDM Travel Trade Excellence Awards 2025 - Asia, receiving the Destination Product of the Year - Singapore and Data Analytics of the Year - Singapore honours for promoting interactive entertainment and transforming retail operations.
Where science meets adventure
Science Centre Singapore’s Escape @ Science Centre (E.S.C.) is a first-of-its-kind escape room that transforms science into an immersive adventure. It blends STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) concepts with the thrill of escape room gameplay.
The attraction was created to engage young adults and curious minds, combining educational principles, artistic design, and creative storytelling into an escape room. Unlike conventional ones that rely on horror elements, E.S.C. has narrative-driven challenges that focus on science, teamwork, and problem-solving skills.
E.S.C. features three distinctive experiences, the first being the Museum of Humankind, a post-apocalyptic survival challenge that explores human innovation. The second experience is Shangri-La, a world inspired by digital glitches and virtual metaverses; then Dr. X , a mission that puts participants on a quest to rescue a lost friend.
Since its launch, E.S.C. has built a loyal following, earning over 100 glowing Google reviews and a stellar 4.7-star rating. Its immersive experiences continue to draw a steady stream of visitors and fans each month. Furthermore, E.S.C. has expanded its offerings with customised birthday and group packages, which have helped extend its appeal beyond students and science enthusiasts.
Curiosity Shop
Science Centre Singapore’s Curiosity Shop has transformed how retail operations are managed through the power of data analytics by introducing interactive dashboards. Being the first of their kind within the organisation, the Curiosity Shop turned historical data into clear and actionable insights for both the management and frontline staff.
Instead of just relying on experience and instinct, the dashboards created a single source of truth, empowering both management and frontline staff to make informed decisions. What truly sets this initiative apart is not only the technology itself but also the creative way analytics were applied in an education-focused retail environment.
The team used Pareto Analysis (the 80/20 principle) and identified that 20% of products contributed to 80% of sales. This insight guided smarter promotions and stock decisions. The dashboards sparked a cultural transformation, equipping the retail team with data-driven thinking.
Additionally, the Curiosity Shop used predictive analytics to manage seasonal retail fluctuations. The dashboards tracked a wide range of indicators, including year-on-year sales growth, basket size, product category performance, discount effectiveness, and customer payment preferences.
These initiatives led the Curiosity Shop to achieve over SG$1m in sales in 2023 to 2024, followed by nearly SG$1.2m in 2024 to 2025. The average basket size also rose from SG$23 to $37, whilst educational books, which were once a low-performing category, improved by two ranks following data-led interventions.
What began as a data project has evolved into a model of resilience, adaptability, and growth. Science Centre Singapore’s Curiosity Shop has proven that science and strategy can work hand in hand even in retail.
TDM Travel Trade Excellence Awards - Asia is a premier awards programme presented by Travel Daily Media. It seeks to honour the pinnacle of excellence in Asia's travel industry, covering the best hotels, airports, cruise lines, tour operators, travel agencies, booking platforms, and travel technology.
The TDM Travel Trade Excellence Awards 2025 - Asia is presented by Travel Daily Media Magazine. To view the full list of winners, click here. For more information on the awards programme, you may contact Danica Avila at (+65) 3158 1386 or danica@traveldailymedia.com.
