SPEECH BY MR S ISWARAN,MINISTER, PRIME MINISTER’S OFFICE AND SECOND MINISTER FOR HOME AFFAIRS AND TRADE & INDUSTRYAT LES CLEFS D’OR, SINGAPORE, 25TH ANNIVERSARY GALA DINNER ON TUESDAY, 12 JULY 2011, 1930 HRS AT MARINA BAY SANDS

Mr Gregory Tan,

President of Les Clefs d’Or Singapore

Members of Les Clefs d’Or

Distinguished Guests

Ladies and Gentlemen

Introduction

I am pleased to join you this evening to celebrate this significant milestone of Les Clefs d’Or Singapore.

Tourism Sector & Hotel Industry Outlook

Today, our tourism sector and hotel industry have good reasons to be optimistic.We are witnessing a period of exceptional growth in our tourism sector.Singapore welcomed 11.6 million international visitors last year and received an estimated S$18.9 billion in tourism receipts.This marks an increase of 20 per cent in visitor arrivals and close to 50 per cent growth in tourism receipts compared to 2009.

The Singapore Tourism Board (STB) expects this growth momentum to be sustained in 2011.STB projects that we will welcome 12 to 13 million visitors this year, with S$22 to S$23 billion in tourism receipts.

Along with other allied sectors in tourism, the hotel industry has benefitted from this growth in Singapore’s tourism.In the first quarter of this year, the industry’s Revenue Per Available Room (RevPAR) grew 16 per cent to reach S$191 – this was on the back of the 26.6 per cent growth recorded last year.

Last year’s strong performance was the result of the confluence of several factors.The global resurgence in travel demand coincided with the introduction of various products in our tourism landscape - such as the opening of our two Integrated Resorts and new attractions on Sentosa, the launch of headline events such as the Asia Fashion Exchange and TravelRave, as well as the Youth Olympic Games.Collectively these provided a well-timed boost to our tourism landscape.

While it would be unrealistic to expect long term tourism growth to be sustained at current levels, we hope to capitalise on this strong growth momentum over the next few years with the progressive opening of the Integrated Resorted facilities[1], and the promising line-up of other upcoming attractions and tourism infrastructure.For instance, our International Cruise Terminal at Marina South is expected to be completed by the end of this year, the first phase of the Gardens by the Bay project will be open next year, as will the River Safari wildlife park developed by Wildlife Reserves Singapore.

However, relying on new products and attractions alone will not be enough to ensure Singapore’s continued evolution and success as a tourist destination.New attractions can only be appreciated within the broader context of a tourism eco-system.This eco-system comprises our air and sea connectivity, domestic transport network, hotel infrastructure, leisure and event options – all underpinned by a corps of well-trained service professionals and an outstanding service culture.

Background of Les Clefs d’Or

Societies like Les Clefs d’Or play an important role in Singapore’s aspiration to be a world class tourist destination. You exemplify the core values and traditions essential to tourism professions.You also provide a platform for professional learning and benchmarking so as to further develop expertise and skills.

I would like to take this opportunity to recognise your society’s commitment to raising standards in the hospitality industry.As one of the key touch points for a visitor during his/her stay in Singapore, the concierge is in a unique position to make an appreciable, if not indelible, difference to visitor experience.A successful concierge can offer unprecedented and delightful service quality by leveraging on knowledge, contacts and experience.And, I would like to encourage your members to continue to harness your network and connections with the overseas chapters of Les Clefs d’Or to learn from best practices and share these within your fraternity.

Your society’s focus on raising professionalism and standards complements the Government’s drive, over the past five years, to upgrade, enhance and improve service standards and quality under the 'Go the Extra Mile for Service' (GEMS Up) movement.

Apart from service excellence, it would be useful for your society to explore, together with our government agencies, how the concierge profession can also support the ongoing national productivity effort. Recently, some 70 hotels pledged their commitment to enhance productivity as part of the Hotel Transformation (HT) 2010 initiative organised by Singapore Hotel Association (SHA), Food, Drinks and Allied Workers’ Union Singapore (FDAWU), Employment and Employability Institute (e2i) and STB.

As Singapore evolves as a leading tourism destination, our tourism sector and related professions will need to increasingly learn to improve work processes, step up training to upgrade skill sets, and adopt technology solutions where appropriate – all this in order to enhance the customer experience and our contributions to the tourism landscape.

As part of an international society of professionals, the Singapore chapter of Les Clefs d’Or is in a good position to collaborate with overseas chapters, in order to catalyse and lead change within the profession locally.

Conclusion

In closing, I would like to congratulate all members of Les Clefs d’Or on your 25th anniversary. I would also like to thank the society and its members for your significant contributions to Singapore’s hospitality and tourism industry over the years.You have a strong and proud tradition, and I am confident that you will continue play an important role in the evolution of Singapore’s tourism sector.

On this note, I wish you all a pleasant and memorable evening as we celebrate 25 years of “Service through Friendship”. Thank you.