(from left) World Express' Valencia Ang, Eeling Koh, Darren Tan, Candice Lim, Kathryn Loh. Photo Credit: World Express
Few travel companies in Singapore can boast a lineage as deeply
intertwined with the country’s progress as World Express. Founded in
1969 by travel entrepreneur Tan Chee Chye, this travel company’s growth
story over the past five decades mirrors the evolution of the Singapore
tourism narrative.
“The ‘Made in Singapore’ brand is our DNA. We started at almost the
same time of Singapore’s founding, and have grown and developed
alongside the country,” said Darren Tan, the second-generation leader
and managing director of World Express.
Today, World Express stands as a market leader in Singapore’s inbound
tourism and destination management company (DMC) sector. This
achievement wasn’t accomplished overnight; it’s the result of steadfast
commitment to principles – a passion for providing highest levels of
destination services – that have been at the heart of the company over
the five decades of operation.
For its enduring World Express was most recently recognised as Best
DMC (Asia) at the M&C Asia Stella Awards 2023. It was also a
finalist for Singapore Tourism Awards’ 2023 Outstanding Event Organisers
category.
Crystallised vision
As World Express celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2019, Tan was
eager to usher in the next phase of growth, but the Covid-19 pandemic
put a temporary pause to any expansion ambitions. Like many leaders in
the travel industry, Tan had to steer the company through a significant
transformation, but the pandemic also presented new opportunities for
World Express.
We saw strong opportunities in MICE and cruise during Covid. It’s a strategic decision to put in place a core team in these segments to expand our services and pursue even bigger events and opportunities,
Darren Tan, managing director of World Express
Cruises, for instance, emerged as a new avenue of growth as a greater
segment of Singapore’s travel population embraced cruising. MICE, in
relation to Singapore’s strength as a business and events hub, was one
of the first segments to rebound from the pandemic.
One notable shift is the increasing demand for customised
experiences, a trend that became even more pronounced in the
post-pandemic landscape. “We see growth in customised experiences and
we’re enhancing our value proposition to provide more bespoke services,”
noted Tan.
Emerging from the pandemic with a “crystallised vision” for the
company, Tan began charting World Express’ future while fortifying its
three core business pillars: MICE, leisure, and cruise. At the heart of
this vision is his commitment to prioritise talent recruitment and
retention.
“We saw strong opportunities in MICE and cruise during Covid. It’s a
strategic decision to put in place a core team in these segments to
expand our services and pursue even bigger events and opportunities,”
Tan emphasised.
Attracting and retaining talent is key to the company’s growth strategy, says Darren Tan, managing director of World Express.People at the heart of growth
Tan recently appointed a trio of new management professionals, all
seasoned industry experts with extensive experience in Singapore’s
travel and DMC sector.
Kathryn Loh, who has had an illustrious career with DMCs such as
SingExpress Travel DMC, Tour East Singapore and Siam Express, joins
World Express as the director of MICE and corporate development. Tan
commended her track record and stated, “Kathryn needs no introduction
for those in the industry. Her past accomplishments speak for itself.
She has successfully organised major MICE events in Singapore in the
past, delivering on Singapore’s reliability as a destination. Having her
on board will elevate the breadth and quality of our services.”
Meanwhile, Eunice Chua, a prominent figure in Singapore’s MICE
industry and former regional director of MICE at Tour East Singapore,
has taken on the role as advisor.
The appointments of both Loh and Chua mark a significant
reinforcement of World Express’ MICE department, currently led by
director of MICE Eeling Koh, an established executive who boasts more
than 20 years of experience in the travel sector, including a 12-year
tenure with DMCs.
These seasoned professionals complement World Express’ leisure team,
which comprises Candice Lim, director of leisure, and Valencia Ang, who
recently joined the DMC as the director of cruise services.
With a strong management team in place, Tan is eager to embark on the next phrase of growth for World Express.
He expressed, “We now have the support of top executives and a pool
of mid and young talents. The business is solid, and we’re making
strides to cultivate a new generation of DMC experts.”
Source: Travel Weekly Asia