i'mpact Singapore Tourism Board Annual Report 2010/2011
i'mpact Singapore Tourism Board Annual Report 2010/2011
i'mpact Singapore Tourism Board Annual Report 2010/2011
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<strong>Tourism</strong> Sector Performance<br />
the professionalism, skills and progression opportunities<br />
in the service industry and enhanced the culture of service<br />
appreciation by reaching out to business decision makers,<br />
service staff and consumers.<br />
To recognise establishments that champion good customer<br />
service, the Best of <strong>Singapore</strong> Service Star (SSS) initiative<br />
profiled 44 businesses that scored the highest in the mystery<br />
shopping exercises conducted throughout <strong>2010</strong>. Businesses<br />
were chosen across the food and beverage, nightspot and retail<br />
sectors to serve as role models for other establishments looking<br />
to raise the bar on service excellence.<br />
The travel services sector has also joined the SSS initiative<br />
and embarked on a comprehensive Customer-Centric Initiative<br />
led by the National Association of Travel Agents <strong>Singapore</strong><br />
(NATAS) with support from STB and SPRING <strong>Singapore</strong>. The<br />
initiative aims for members of the travel agency industry to<br />
commit to service excellence and improve in customer service<br />
and operational efficiency. Some key programmes to be put in<br />
motion include the development of common service standards<br />
for all NATAS members and the appointment of Service Quality<br />
Managers in travel agencies.<br />
In addition to good service, exceptional experiences are<br />
what keep visitors returning. With this in mind, the <strong>Singapore</strong><br />
Experience Awards (SEA) was set up to differentiate<br />
<strong>Singapore</strong> as a premier tourist destination with its focus on the<br />
experiential elements of its products as well as service delivery<br />
to enhance the visitor experience. The awards have certainly<br />
spurred the industry on with three new awards, namely Best<br />
Education Experience, Best Enrichment Experience and Best<br />
Healthcare Experience, which were introduced in <strong>2010</strong> to<br />
reflect the creativity, quality and diversity of service providers<br />
Visitors are enjoying their time in <strong>Singapore</strong> more with an increase in service<br />
awareness across the country’s retail and hospitality sectors.<br />
that have gone beyond traditional tourism. Also launched<br />
was the inaugural <strong>Singapore</strong> Experience Conversation, a<br />
forum that provided invited guests with opportunities for<br />
open dialogue and sharing of best practices to help tackle<br />
the ever-changing consumer landscape. More than 34,000<br />
unique nominations were received in <strong>2010</strong>, an approximate<br />
30 per cent increase in the number of nominations received<br />
as compared to the previous year – a healthy indication that<br />
both the public and industry recognise the value of providing a<br />
holistic customer experience.<br />
STB continues to find new and more effective ways of dealing<br />
with consumer-related complaints by tourists. An agreement<br />
with the Consumers Association of <strong>Singapore</strong> (CASE) sees both<br />
parties co-managing tourism retail-related complaints, providing<br />
visitors with a continual platform for recourse even after they<br />
depart <strong>Singapore</strong> while sending a strong signal to recalcitrant<br />
retailers to curb unfair trade practices.<br />
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