1.             Good morning. I am very glad to join you all here today at NATAS Holidays 2022, the first in-person travel fair that NATAS has organised since the COVID-19 pandemic.

2.             As borders around the world reopen, we are seeing pent-up demand for travel being unleashed. Hotel room rates in most countries were higher in June 2022 than before COVID, while bookings on short- and medium-haul flights have surpassed pre-pandemic levels.

3.             Some of these travellers will be choosing Singapore as their holiday destination. We are seeing demand for travel to Singapore returning, especially with the launch of the Vaccinated Travel Framework earlier in April. STB recently reported that in the first half of this year, visitor arrivals grew 12 times year-on-year to reach 1.5 million, while tourism receipts more than doubled year-on-year to reach an estimated $1.3 billion in the first quarter of the year. Looking ahead, STB also forecasts that visitor arrivals will reach between 4 and 6 million this year. While this will still be a fraction of our pre-pandemic numbers, it is a positive sign that tourism is back in business, putting us on track for recovery to pre-COVID levels by the mid-2020s.

4.             Singaporeans will also be making overseas trips. Locally, outbound travel has picked up pace, with over 311,000 departures in May this year, a 10-fold increase from the previous year^[1]. A recent survey by Tripadvisor^[2] found that 84% of its Singaporean survey respondents plan to travel this year. I hope that many of them will be able to book their trips here at NATAS Holidays 2022.

5.             These healthy inbound and outbound numbers show that travel demand is rebounding as countries emerge from two years of COVID lockdowns. Nevertheless, the pandemic has fundamentally changed the way we travel. This is where travel agents have a crucial role to play in helping travellers navigate different border policies and health protocols, as well as provide expertise, assurance, and support if contingencies arise. I encourage you to continue providing value-added services to your clients, innovating to support your business growth, and making travel a smooth experience for all.

6.             I wish you all a successful event. Thank you.