This year marks 60 years of the Singapore Tourism Board’s (STB) ongoing dedicated journey in shaping Singapore’s dynamic tourism landscape, enriching the lives of both residents and visitors, and being a key contributor to the nation’s economy.
First established in 1964 as the Singapore Tourist Promotion Board (STPB) under the Ministry of Trade & Industry, its mandate was to promote the city-state as a tourist destination, successfully welcoming 91,000 visitors that first year. In 1997, the Board changed its name to Singapore Tourism Board (STB) in order to more accurately reflect its expanded role as coordinator and overall champion of tourism for the nation. In 2023, Singapore received 13.6 million international visitors, 1.1 million of which came from Australia, one of the destination’s top visitor-generating markets.
To commemorate its 60th anniversary, the Board’s three oldest international offices – Sydney, Tokyo and London – will be organising special events in-market not only to celebrate the milestone, but to also show appreciation to their longstanding industry partners and reaffirm the commitment to working with them to promote Destination Singapore.
In Sydney, STB Oceania is pleased to announce that it will be the Arrival Sponsor at this year’s National Travel Industry Awards (NTIAs) – the annual event hosted by the Australian Travel Industry Association (ATIA) to recognise and reward excellence in the country’s travel industry.
STB Oceania and ATIA will create a unique and immersive Singapore experience to welcome over 1,000 guests as they arrive for the NTIAs on Saturday 26 October at the International Convention Centre (ICC) Sydney.
Oliver Chong, Executive Director, International Group & Oceania, STB, said: “Australia has been a key market for Singapore since the Board established the Sydney office back in 1970. In all these years, the invaluable support of Australia’s travel industry has been an integral part of our promotional efforts. Even though there are many more channels today to reach our potential visitors, travel agents have been and will continue to be a key partner in helping to spread the word about Singapore as a holiday destination. It is thus our pleasure and honour to be the Arrival Sponsor for the highly regarded National Travel Industry Awards as it is the perfect platform for us to thank our passionate, local industry partners and colleagues for their ongoing support.”
Dean Long, Chief Executive Officer, ATIA, said: “We’re delighted to have Singapore Tourism Board join us as our Arrival Sponsor and deeply appreciate their generous support. From our initial discussions with the Singapore Tourism Board team, it’s evident that the 2024 Arrival will elevate travel’s premier event to new heights. We are excited to collaborate with the best in the travel industry to honour the best of the travel industry.”