Awards recognised 35 individuals and organisations for demonstrating resilience, innovation and service excellence amidst pandemic challenges last year.
Organised by the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) and held at the Shangri-La Hotel, the Singapore Tourism Awards presentation ceremony was graced by Alvin Tan, Minister of State for Trade and Industry, and Culture, Community and Youth.
STB Chief Executive Keith Tan said: “The efforts of all the award finalists and recipients spur the entire tourism industry to greater achievements. Their spirit of resilience and creativity will become more important as we emerge from the pandemic to recapture demand and ensure Singapore remains a world-leading leisure and MICE destination.”
There were 81 finalists for the Experience Excellence, Enterprise Excellence, Customer Service, Top and Special Awards categories this year, with 11 recipients for the Top and Special Awards.
Ten organisations and one individual were honoured under the Top and Special Awards categories.
Top Awards
- One Kampong Gelam (OKG) and Group ONE Holdings (ONE) each received a Special Recognition Award for displaying resilience and delivering creative and innovative products and experiences.
- OKG initiated new events and activities to enliven and establish Kampong Gelam as a vibrant cultural district. OKG launched the precinct’s first Hari Raya light-up project in over a decade, with a first-of-its-kind light projection show on the Sultan Mosque. It also transformed and added vibrancy to the precinct with the first official graffiti Hall of Fame in Southeast Asia by turning construction hoardings into a street art attraction.
- ONE was the first event organiser to pilot an international live sporting event in 2020, with pre-event testing and heightened safe management measures. They shared their experience with other event organisers, paving the way for more events to resume in 2021. ONE continued to hold events safely and successfully while innovating and expanding its product offerings during the pandemic.
Special Award for Sustainability
In line with Singapore’s ambition to become a top sustainable urban destination, Grand Hyatt Singapore, Marina Bay Sands and Resorts World Sentosa were awarded the Special Award for Sustainability.
- Grand Hyatt Singapore implemented impactful sustainability initiatives, such as converting food waste into fertiliser and reducing its carbon footprint by installing a gas-powered plant to provide 30 per cent of the hotel’s electricity needs.
- Marina Bay Sands (MBS), recognised as the first carbon-neutral MICE venue in Singapore, leveraged smart technology in its operations to support sustainability. MBS has also commercialised sustainability by incorporating it into their offerings and programmes – for example, by offering sustainability tours.
- Resorts World Sentosa (RWS) adopted a comprehensive range of sustainability initiatives in carbon neutrality, waste management, energy efficiency and biodiversity. As a sign of their sustainability commitment, RWS also provided SGD10 million (USD7.3 million) in funding to the RWS-NUS Living Laboratory to enhance biodiversity conservation in Singapore.
Special Award for Most Exemplary Employer
Far East Hospitality and Marina Bay Sands were each conferred the Special Award for Most Exemplary Employer for developing and implementing impactful policies to retain and retrain employees during the pandemic.
- Far East Hospitality formed a dedicated team to train and equip staff with skills beyond their job roles. The organisation also introduced programmes to improve employees’ physical and mental welfare and launched a financial assistance scheme for employees in need.
- Marina Bay Sands actively encouraged upskilling among employees and implemented initiatives to protect the physical and mental welfare of both employees and their families. Diversity and inclusion are core values in the organisation’s hiring philosophy, and it continues to hire Persons with Disabilities (PWDs).
Special Award for Community Care
Marina Bay Sands, The Fullerton Hotel Singapore, Trip.com Travel Singapore and Tan Siok Hui from Conrad Centennial Singapore received the Special Award for Community Care for displaying care and selflessness for the wider community during the pandemic.
Marina Bay Sands implemented a wide-reaching international community engagement programme for over 24,000 beneficiaries across various segments with different needs. These efforts alleviated food insecurity, tackled social isolation and promoted disaster resiliency to beneficiaries such as lower-income families, nursing homes, seniors living alone, migrant workers and disadvantaged communities in India.
The Fullerton Hotel Singapore displayed its commitment to building a caring and inclusive community via outreach and mentorship programmes. These focused on six key pillars: Women, Youth, Seniors, Community, Heritage and Well-being. The hotel also organised activities around different campaigns such as World Heart Day, Breast Cancer Awareness Month, the Purple Parade and International Women’s Day. A part of the proceeds from the various donation drives was given to beneficiaries.
Trip.com Travel Singapore launched the Pay It Forward campaign, which allowed citizens to donate their SingapoRediscovers vouchers. This campaign subsequently inspired other authorised booking partners to provide a similar donation option for the vouchers.
Siok Hui displayed exemplary leadership by driving multiple social responsibility events at Conrad Centennial Singapore to help the less fortunate. She also demonstrated selflessness by volunteering her time at various local non-profit organisations, even outside of her working hours.
Twenty-four recognised for outstanding achievements
Twenty-four individuals and organisations were also honoured for their outstanding achievements across the Customer Service, Experience Excellence and Enterprise Excellence categories.
In particular, Let’s Go Tour’s Red Oil Lamp: Chinatown Stories Alive and Voices: Memories of Kampong Lorong Buangkok were collectively named Outstanding Tour Experience for providing an immersive, theatrical experience based on the tour location and period.
The Clan Hotel was recognised as an Outstanding Hotel Experience. It developed multiple cross-sector collaborations, incorporating them into various services to provide guests with new and authentic experiences.
Click here for the full list of the award recipients and finalists of the Singapore Tourism Awards 2022.
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