Questions
Mr Don Wee Boon Hong: To ask the Minister for Trade and Industry what considerations does the Singapore Tourism Board give when deciding which artiste or event to disburse grants to.
Mr Gerald Giam Yean Song: To ask the Minister for Trade and Industry (a) when did the Government start supporting marquee performance or sports events through grants; (b) for events taking place in 2024, what are the total grants agreed upon and how many tourists are these events expected to attract; and (c) what are the estimated benefits to the Singapore economy from all these events.
Oral Answer (to be attributed to Minister of State for Trade and Industry Alvin Tan)
1. Mr Speaker, may I have your permission to take Parliamentary Questions 5 and 6 on today’s Order Paper together?
2. STB has been supporting leisure events through grants since 1998, to complement other marketing initiatives including campaigns and partnerships. For leisure events that STB has supported, international visitors make up 25% to 30% of the total attendees on average.
3. Aside from leisure events, STB also supports the development and marketing of new tourism products, rejuvenating existing tourism offerings, upskilling tourism workers, and helping our local tourism companies become more productive and innovative.
4. STB conducts thorough assessments before providing any grant. These include the qualitative and quantitative benefits of any proposed event such as its ability to (a) drive foreign visitorship and tourism receipts; (b) incorporate unique and innovative programming; and (c) profile Singapore as a vibrant and appealing destination. In addition, these events are expected to create value by generating more business for our companies here, adding to Singapore’s vibrancy and amplifying our nation’s global branding and international stature.
5. STB tracks overall international visitor arrivals, tourism receipts and average length of stay. Members can refer to STB’s press release on 1 February 2024 for the tourism sector’s performance in 2023.