Insights on Tourism (2024)

By Damon Chee

Discovery+ is a series of online industry panels which gives students the chance to interact with working professionals and learn about the careers they aspire to enter. These panels provide youths and working professionals with the opportunity to better understand industry trends, hear first-hand perspectives from industry professionals, and gain valuable advice on entering or navigating these industries.

On 20 August 2024, Advisory hosted Discover+: Tourism, the 86th edition of the Discovery+ series. Speakers on the panel included:

• Jamie Tan (Moderator), Hotel Manager, PARKROYAL COLLECTION Marina Bay
• Dong Limin, Director of Tourism Human Capital and Sustainability, Singapore Tourism Board (STB)
• Loy Wei Kiin, Deputy Vice President, Guest Experience Management, Mandai Wildlife Group
• Law Yock Song, Managing Partner & Head of Partnerships, Tribe Tours

Attendees included students at various levels of education with a desire to know the different career paths in the tourism industry, and how to best position themselves for such roles. Below are some key points shared during the session:

How is the tourism industry recovering from the pandemic?

According to the Top 100 City Destinations Index 2023 by Euromonitor, Singapore remains the most attractive city destination in Southeast Asia. Singapore has also retained our position as the best business environment for 15 consecutive years, according to the latest business environment rankings by the Economist Intelligence Unit.

These rankings highlight the strong position of Singapore as a hub for business and commerce. In addition, Singapore is set to welcome new attractions, exhibitions, and events in 2024, showing the resilience of the sector and the confidence investors have in the long-term growth potential of Singapore as a tourist destination.

STB also launched campaigns such as the Made in Singapore Global Brand Campaign, along with partnerships to bring in musical acts to perform in Singapore, thereby attracting visitors and strengthening the Singapore brand internationally.

With strong tourism fundamentals and strategic partnerships secured, tourism has rebounded strongly since Singapore reopened its borders in 2022. The country welcomed 13.6 million international visitors which generated S$27.2 billion in tourism receipts. Tourist arrivals in 2024 are projected to range from 15 to 16.5 million, helping to generate S$27.5 to 29 billion in tourist receipts.

What does your day to day life at work look like?

Some tasks include reviewing overnight reports of the hotel to look out for feedback from guests which require immediate attention. The hotel is also inspected for cleanliness, maintenance and presentation to ensure that it is in good condition and meets standards.

A department operations meeting is also convened later in the day where department heads will meet to discuss occupancy rates, special events that are happening on that day or later in the week, and urgent issues that require immediate attention. The agenda for weekly and monthly meetings includes methods to drive revenue and sales, along with marketing. There are also annual meetings to set out goals and key performance indicators to achieve in the coming year.

A day at work requires one to manage operations, lead the hotel team, ensure guest satisfaction and drive business performance.

One may need to be involved in product development and come up with new products for sale in the market. After the development phase, products are marketed on social media sites through advertisement slots to help raise awareness and persuade people to purchase them.

Talent management is another key aspect. One has to think ahead and consider if there are enough jobs for everyone if headcount were to increase.

In the field of experience design, the team works with different stakeholders depending on the project.

One such project is journey mapping where the team needs to think about potential guests who will visit the park, along with their needs when it opens. The team comes out with ‘how might we’ statements to ensure that guests feel satisfied and have a positive experience. One example is to look at the ticketing system of the park to make it easy for guests to buy their tickets through the user interface.

There is also service training that needs to be done. A curriculum developer helps to develop training materials that will eventually be implemented on the ground. After that, feedback is given and incorporated into the training before running through it again. Should negative feedback arise, one would need to meet the guests to understand their situation and find ways to help them.

In the case of park expansion, generative artificial intelligence (AI) can be used to help with day-to-day tasks by working with travel agents to improve the user experience.

What are some expected qualities or skills for individuals keen on joining this industry?

Some desirable qualities include curiosity and a willingness to learn. As one may not have background knowledge or work experience in the industry, they would be starting from an entry-level role. To be a quality candidate for promotion, it would be good to have a growth mindset to show willingness in developing your career.

Being adept with technology is another desirable skill set to have. When the diploma in Tourism Management with Technology (since renamed into the Diploma in Hospitality & Tourism Management) was first instituted, the programme received support from AI Singapore to incorporate AI into the diploma. By learning more about and eventually harnessing technology, staff can increase their work productivity, leading to value-added jobs and potentially better pay.

What would growth look like in the hospitality industry?

A growth source would be music tourism. In the first quarter of 2024, Singapore welcomed musical acts such as Taylor Swift and Coldplay, increasing tourism receipts and creating demand for hotels, hospitality, retail, and attractions.

There are growth areas in sustainable, green cultural heritage, thematic (to fulfil special interests or niches of tourists) and experiential tourism (where tourists immerse themselves in the history and culture of the country they visit). This is due to a shift towards a more tech-savvy, guest-centric and sustainable approach to tourism.

Generative AI is also adding value to mundane jobs by generating data and statistics in an efficient manner. This can be done in minutes as opposed to hours, helping the organisation make decisions quicker. The time saved can then be better used to serve guests.

Growth is also seen in sustainability-related roles in the hospitality industry. For example, hotels now place more focus on sustainable practices such as energy savings, and reducing the use of plastic bottles, amongst others.

Guests would also like the hotel to provide a better experience for them. For example, hotels now extend their reach to young families by offering cooking classes and storytelling sessions for children. This is to target customers who are looking out for an experiential stay, on top of enjoying the facilities and F&B outlets of the hotel.

How does one apply for sustainability related roles in the hospitality industry?

When the Diploma in Tourism Management with Technology was first instituted in Republic Polytechnic, the team wanted to incorporate the concept of sustainability and sustainable tourism into the programme. Students in this programme would have a head start in learning the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) criteria for hotels — where Singapore was certified as a sustainable destination — due to its integration into the curriculum.

One can pick up certifications in sustainability, such as those for event spaces, and attractions management, amongst others. The bigger question one ought to think about is the aspect of sustainability that they are interested to work in. Examples include sustainability in the data analytics or experience design aspects of the industry, and so forth.

What considerations came to mind when developing certain products for different tours and how were they prioritised?

One needs to recognise and accept certain constraints such as the weather of Singapore. Despite this, the country has numerous sheltered walkways and big fans to cool the environment so that it is more pleasant to walk outdoors.

When designing a product, one needs to be clear of their target audience, the stories to be told, and the environment where the tour will take place. Creativity is also needed to put these ideas together. To do this well, one would probably need prior experience in product development. This can be done by learning from other games, picking out relevant concepts, and tweaking them to suit the environment of the tour.

What is one piece of advice for the attendees of this webinar?

For aspiring tourism professionals, be curious and be unafraid to ask questions as the tourism industry is always evolving. One needs to have an inquisitive mindset to know about the latest happenings within the industry, along with external events that may affect it. If possible, think of how they can add value to your work.

Being employed in the hospitality industry allows one to have fun by entertaining people and being glamorous, but one also needs to remember the preparation required to achieve these outcomes. Knowing what the job entails before committing to it helps to prevent one from realising that they are not a good fit after working in the industry.

While the tourism industry is people-oriented, there are some departments that are not necessarily the case. An individual would have to look at their inner compass to know what they want. It may not be something that an individual can answer immediately as it is a process of discovery. It takes time to know what one truly wants.