Mission, Vision and Values - Singapore Tourism Board

STB Annual Report 03/04
Unveiling Our
Mission, Vision and Values
MISSION
We develop and champion tourism, so as to build the sector into a key
driver of economic growth for Singapore
VISION
To be a leading economic development agency in tourism, always
setting new benchmarks and pioneering best practices
VALUES
• We are focused on achieving our Mission and Vision
• We put the customer first
• We are proactive. We take initiative and are relentless in pursuing
our goals
• We value knowledge as our core tool. We build deep knowledge.
We use it and share it
• We are boundaryless in our mindset and approach. We think beyond
constraints and work collaboratively
• We are enterprising. We challenge norms, take risks and are willing
to experiment
• We find passion and put fun in everything we do
In the past few years, the evolving landscape of the tourism industry have made
it critical for countries in the region to adapt and re-focus its business strategies
so as to tap on the growing tourism traffic to the East Asia Pacific region. Tourism
receipts in this region have been growing by 6.4% per year from 1998 to 2002 and
despite registering its highest visitor arrivals of 7.6 million in 2002, Singapore’s
tourism receipts have not seen a corresponding increase. Furthermore, competition
from our neighbours in our traditional and emerging markets has also intensified.

22 - 23
To tackle the situation, the STB reviewed its organisational structure in 2002/2003
to better align its resources with business strategies. The Board’s role could no
longer be merely marketing and promoting Singapore to visitors. Singapore’s
position as a choice business and leisure destination had to be strengthened both
locally and overseas and the visitor experience had to be exciting, innovative and
compelling. To achieve this, a holistic and sustainable approach, together with a
new mindset, has to be injected into the manner in which the Board works and
how it develops and leads the tourism sector.
With this change in perspective, it was necessary for the STB to evolve from a
predominantly marketing agency for Singapore tourism to an economic development
agency focused on building the tourism sector’s contribution to the economic
growth of Singapore. This meant that a broader spectrum of work including product
development, industry development, channel development, investment promotions
and marketing needed to be done. It was also apparent that for an organisation
to succeed, there must be a common set of fundamental beliefs to guide the
management and staff so that there is clarity and direction in the Board’s work.
With this, the STB reviewed its Mission, Vision and Values in May 2003, while
managing the destination’s recovery from the effects of SARS on tourism.
Following a series of feedback sessions involving more than 300 staff over a period
of six months, the Mission, Vision and Values of the Board were unveiled on 15
November 2003.
The launch of the Mission, Vision and Values is not an end in itself. The STB is
continually working to entrench the Values into the systems and processes involving
people management that will impact the everyday behaviours of staff. The Values
will be used to guide the way the management and staff think and work with
both internal and external customers to bridge the gaps or resolve problems in
real work issues.
A significant example of change in systems and processes is Project Optimal, an
initiative that reviews the STB’s Human Resource (HR) strategies, policies and
processes to ensure alignment with its Mission, Vision, Values and business
objectives. Key HR practices and processes included are:
• Establishing performance indicators for various groups and divisions in the Board
that ensure accountability for corporate results
• Developing a value-based competency framework that defines the behaviours
that are expected of staff and leaders in the organisation
• Establishing role profiles to provide clarity on key accountabilities, competencies
and performance indicators for staff
• Reviewing the performance management system to better manage performance
assessment and talent development
As Mr Lim Neo Chian, Deputy Chairman & Chief Executive of STB puts it,
“This effort is about making the Mission, Vision and Values
‘stick’ in STB. The outcome we aim to achieve is for our Mission,
Vision and Values to become part and parcel of the way we
do things in STB and to help us better understand the purpose
of our work in STB.”