Singapore Tourism Board
Agency overview | |
---|---|
Formed | 1 January 1964 19 November 1997 (as Singapore Tourism Board) | (as Singapore Tourist Promotion Board)
Jurisdiction | Government of Singapore |
Headquarters | Tourism Court, 1 Orchard Spring Lane, Singapore 247729 |
Agency executives | |
Parent agency | Ministry of Trade and Industry |
Website | www |
The Singapore Tourism Board (STB) is a statutory board under the Ministry of Trade and Industry of the Government of Singapore, tasked to promote the country's tourism industry.
History[edit]
The board was first established on 1 January 1964 and was called the Singapore Tourist Promotion Board (Abbreviation: STPB).[3] In that year, there were 91,000 visitors. The primary task of STPB was to coordinate the efforts of hotels, airlines and travel agents to develop the fledgling tourism industry of the country.
Later, STPB began to initiate new marketing ideas to promote Singapore's image abroad. The board created the Merlion, a symbol based on a Singapore mythical legend, that became an icon of the Singapore destination. The board has also been providing travel agent licensing and tourist guide training.
STPB actively promoted the development of infrastructure, including the building of hotels and tourist attractions such as the Jurong Bird Park and Sentosa which is now a popular resort island for both tourists and local visitors. The board also markets the city as a convention venue and organises events to attract visitors.
Throughout the 1960s to 70s, the tourism board ran multiple advertising campaigns aimed at drawing visitors from different countries and published monthly newsletters to promote multiple attractions in Singapore.[4][5] The Merlion was also created as the Singapore Tourism Board's logo in 1964 and was used in promotional materials.[6] The Merlion eventually became a well-known Singaporean icon and in 1972, a Merlion statue was erected in the Merlion Park.[7]
In the 1980s, several historic and culturally significant areas such as Chinatown, Little India and Kampong Glam were earmarked for preservation. These places express Singapore's cultural diversity and became popular tourist destinations. The Singapore River underwent a major cleanup program and the areas along the river were developed for restaurants and other tourist amenities.
On 7 October 1997, the parliament passed the Tourist Promotion Board (Amendment) Bill to rename the STPB to Singapore Tourism Board.[8] On 19 November 1997, STPB was renamed as Singapore Tourism Board.[9]
Mission[edit]
The board now oversees all aspects of tourism, including resource allocation and long-term strategic planning. It establishes offices around the globe to actively market the Singapore destination.
In the short term, the Singapore government has allocated S$905 million to STB for tourism developments until 2017. A third of this amount will be used to assist the industry to build manpower competencies through education and skills-upgrading initiatives, particularly in key areas such as conference management.[10]
Growth[edit]
Singapore tourism industry has grown rapidly since STPB was set up. In 2004, there were 8 million visitors. On 11 January 2005, Minister for Trade and Industry unveiled the Singapore Tourism Board’s (STB) targets to doubling visitor arrivals to 17 million by 2015.
In March 2010, the STB projected a 20–30% increase in visitor arrivals for the year due to the opening of Marina Bay Sands and Resorts World Sentosa.[11] This coincided with other key events such as the Singapore Grand Prix and the inaugural Youth Olympic Games. New developments such as the International Cruise Terminal, Gardens by the Bay and Changi Motor Sports Hub are expected to be unveiled in the coming years.[12]
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^ "Leadership And Board Changes At The Singapore Tourism Board". Ministry of Trade & Industry. 29 December 2023.
- ^ "New Chief Executive Appointed for Singapore Tourism Board". Ministry of Trade & Industry. 3 May 2023.
- ^ "Formation of the Singapore Tourism Promotion Board". NLB. Retrieved 8 September 2019.
- ^ "Tourist Draw". The Straits Times, Archived by NewspaperSG. 23 April 1964. Retrieved 28 December 2022.
- ^ "Newsletter to tell of tourist attractions". The Straits Times, Archived by NewspaperSG. 9 July 1964. Retrieved 28 December 2022.
- ^ "Lion with fish tail is Tourist Board's new emblem". The Straits Times, Archived by NewspaperSG. 25 April 1964. Retrieved 28 December 2022.
- ^ "A new home for the Merlion" (PDF). Skyline (July/August 2000 ed.). URA. pp. 6–8. Archived from the original (PDF) on 9 August 2017.
- ^ "Bigger role for new board in developing industry here". The Straits Times. 8 October 1997. p. 42. Retrieved 11 March 2024 – via NewspaperSG.
- ^ "No more STPB". The New Paper. 20 November 1997. p. 4. Retrieved 11 March 2024 – via NewspaperSG.
- ^ "A new breed of MICE". TTGmice. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 1 May 2012.
- ^ Channel News Asia- STB forecasts 20–30% jump in visitor arrivals this year [1]
- ^ Singapore Tourism Board Forecasts Record Numbers for 2010 and Unveils "YourSingapore" Destination Brand [2] Archived 17 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine
External links[edit]
- Official website
- VisitSingapore.com – Official Tourist Guide by STB
- Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority
- Agency for Science, Technology and Research
- Building and Construction Authority
- Central Provident Fund
- Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore
- Civil Service College
- Competition and Consumer Commission of Singapore
- Council for Estate Agencies
- Defence Science and Technology Agency
- Economic Development Board
- Energy Market Authority
- Enterprise Singapore
- Government Technology Agency
- Health Promotion Board
- Health Sciences Authority
- Housing and Development Board
- Home Team Science and Technology Agency
- Infocomm Media Development Authority
- Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore
- Intellectual Property Office of Singapore
- ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute
- JTC Corporation
- Land Transport Authority
- Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore
- National Arts Council
- National Council of Social Service
- National Environment Agency
- National Heritage Board
- National Library Board
- People's Association
- Public Transport Council
- Public Utilities Board
- Sentosa Development Corporation
- Singapore Accountancy Commission
- Singapore Examinations and Assessment Board
- Singapore Food Agency
- Singapore Land Authority
- Singapore Tourism Board
- Sport Singapore
- Urban Redevelopment Authority
- Workforce Singapore
- Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority of Singapore
- Casino Regulatory Authority
- Commercial and Industrial Security Corporation
- Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore
- International Enterprise Singapore
- Media Development Authority
- National Computer Board
- Nanyang Technological University
- National University of Singapore
- Post Office Savings Bank
- Public Works Department
- Singapore Broadcasting Authority
- Singapore Broadcasting Corporation
- Singapore Harbour Board
- Singapore Improvement Trust
- Singapore Telecommunications
- SPRING Singapore
- Telecommunication Authority of Singapore