Singaporean minister of state and minister of trade and industry Alvin Tan was on hand earlier today to open the landmark 18th edition of ITB Asia.
In his remarks earlier today at the Marina Bay Sands Expo and Convention Centre, Tan spoke of his country's longstanding partnership with the Messe Berlin event.
Tan declared: "ITB Asia not only reflects a very long-standing partnership, but also friendship, and our shared commitment to grow our tourism sector."
The minister opined that Singapore is a cultural melting pot, hence its suitability to become a convener of many globally significant events.
He said: "So many things are happening in Singapore at the same time, and my team and I at the Ministry of Trade and Industry and the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) are very much encouraged that we can do this together."
Singapore looks to the future
Tan likewise shared his insights regarding what Singapore's tourism sector is doing in light of recent developments in the global industry.
The minister pointed out how despite ongoing geopolitical and economic shifts, Singapore is working to adapt to travel and tourism's rapid evolution as well as the shifting preferences of global travellers
Tan said: "We are putting on some of our foresight to try to be more innovative and to try to imagine and reimagine the future of tourism. This year's theme for ITB Asia is Future Forward, and it reflects a bold vision captured in Singapore's Tourism 2040 strategy which outlines our next chapter of tourism."
Singapore Tourism 2040
Announced earlier this year, Singapore's Tourism 2040 plan seeks to earn $47 billion to $50 billion in tourism receipts by 2040.
At the core of this ambitious target is Singapore's commitment not just to quantity but to quality in terms of attractions, accommodations, amenities, and experiences.
To achieve this, Tan explained: "Our focus is on capturing demand from high growth visitor segments and markets because we believe that this will strengthen Singapore's attractiveness and build a future-ready tourism sector."
MICE matters
More than any other demographic, business travellers play a pivotal role in Singapore's plans.
The country plans to strengthen its position as a premier global MICE destination, essentially tripling its MICE tourism receipts from $1.4 billion in 2019 to $4.5 billion in 2040.
Tan continued : "To support that vision and to support that objective, we continue to build a strong pipeline of MICE events in Singapore. For example, we have the Passenger Terminal Expo Asia 2026 next year, ASEAN Energy Business Forum 2028, and the IDA World Insurance Congress 2031. We are not just focused on the present or even the near future, but we are planning ahead, making sure that there are pipelines to help us achieve this strategy."
These events, along with ITB Asia and a slew of recent corporate functions held in the country, reflect confidence in Singapore's ability and potential to host premier MICE events.
Tad added: "It demonstrates Singapore's versatility and we're trying to build that muscle and to host specialised industry gatherings that drive meaningful business outcomes and also to foster knowledge across multiple sectors."
At present, Singapore is also in the process of developing a MICE hub within the city-state's the downtown area to further expand its capacity for major events.
