(L-R) Trip.com ’s Sun Bo and Jane Sun; Singapore Tourism Board’s Melissa Ow and Juliana Kua. Photo Credit: Trip.com
Trip.com
Group invited some 2,200 delegates, including 140 Chinese media to its
5th Global Partner Summit at Resorts World Convention Centre, Sentosa,
from 23-25 October 2023. It was the first time the event was held
outside of Shanghai and Macao.
About 60% of the delegates comprised C-suite level executives from
travel agencies, DMCs, hotels, destinations, attractions and airlines.
All delegates stayed in Sentosa at Resorts World Sentosa (RWS), Far
East Hospitality’s Sentosa Cluster hotels, Shangri-la’s Rasa Sentosa and
Amara Sanctuary Resort Sentosa for the entire duration of their stay.
It was an ideal occasion for Sentosa to showcase its MICE capabilities
as a destination.
Said Jane Sun, CEO, Trip.com
Group: “Singapore has always been one of the most popular destinations
for Chinese and other international tourists, and we have been
collaborating with the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) to promote tourism
and showcase the beauty of this beautiful country.
“Hosting our annual flagship Global Partner Summit – with its over
2,000 delegates – in Singapore earlier this week reflects our commitment
to the local tourism sector and we will utilise our strengths,
including content marketing, AI and innovation, to further strengthen
Singapore’s position as a destination of choice.”
Outdoor beach reception and dinner on 23 October at Siloso Beach. Photo Credit: Trip.com Official SiteOn the first evening of their arrival, some 1,000 pax were gathered
at Siloso Beach for a welcome dinner beach party. Lu Yun, co-founder of
Green Transportation, an attendee, said she was pleasantly surprised
with the relaxed ambiance of the venue.
The second day of the summit saw delegates convening at RWS’ Grand
Ballroom for the official opening. A sustainable travel panel discussed
the latest trends, aside from other speeches.
Trip.com
and STB signed a MoU at the Group’s Global Partner Summit. The MoU
renews their global partnership for three years where both parties will
expand their collaboration and embark on joint campaigns to boost
inbound travel to Singapore and promote more in-depth and lesser-known
tours and experiences in the Republic. Also, Trip.com will promote Singapore’s MICE offerings and explore digital innovations that enhance visitors' experience in Singapore.
Sentosa offerings
Prior to lunch, the Chinese media was given an update on the top
offerings of Sentosa. These included Sentosa Golf Club, the new
Palawan@Sentosa, Tipsy Unicorn Beach Club, and the upcoming S$90 million
Sentosa SensoryScape, a 350-m linkway which connects RWS to the
island's beaches. The walkway promises to be one of the most picturesque
spots on the island that will be ready in 2024.
Besides offering a peaceful haven 20 minutes by car away from the
busy city, delegates heard about how the island has been continuing with
Singapore’s first carbon neutrality-driven business alliance, the
Sentosa Carbon Neutral Network. This is a collective public-private
effort to achieve Sentosa’s sustainability goals, including carbon
neutrality by 2030.
The audience listens to a welcome speech by Trip.com’s Jane Sun. Photo Credit: Patricia WeeThe rest of the second day was spent at breakout meetings in the various hotels according to Trip.com’s business units, followed by a gala dinner at RWS.
The last day saw the delegates spilt into three groups for site
visits within Sentosa: general FAM for 1,800 pax; Media FAM for 140 pax;
and VIP FAM for 14 pax. Some visited Sentosa Golf Club for a VIP lunch.
The growing presence of Chinese MICE business is riding on the wave
of China-outbound tourism since February 2023, accompanied by the
resumption of flight capacity, especially during the recent Golden Week
holiday in China. Singapore was in the top five most popular
international destinations for mainland Chinese travellers, said Trip.com.