“Sentosa is a one-stop shop where we can fulfil all your MICE requirements, right down to your ESG goals,” says SDC’s Chin Sak Hin.
More than just a motto, 'One Sentosa' is also the rallying call of
Sentosa Development Corporation in galvanising the whole island
destination – from its hospitality providers to attraction operators –
to come together to create an integrated experience with its wide array
of activities, accommodations, and spaces for MICE groups.
“For us, working as One Sentosa is critical to bring all our
experiences to life,” explained Chin Sak Hin, assistant chief executive
and chief financial officer of SDC, speaking to Meetings &
Conventions Asia at the recent IBTM World 2022 in Barcelona. “From a
MICE perspective, what we have done first of all is to form the Sentosa
Carbon Neutral Network that helps us to be of one mind to harmonise our
green actions for the island.”
The
Sentosa Carbon Neutral Network, which involves engaging its island
partners to further sustainability initiatives as a collective effort,
is Sentosa’s journey towards achieving carbon neutrality by 2030. That
synergised movement has started to bear fruit, with Sentosa having
recently become the first island destination in Asia to be conferred the
Global Sustainable Tourism Council – For Destinations (GSTC-D)
certificate as a testament for its entire island’s commitment.
Silosa Beach was the site for Sentosa's Golden Jubilee celebration on 2 September where SDC walked the talk and implemented its sustainability event practices.The course towards Sentosa achieving its GSTC-D certification,
alongside multiple other internationally recognised sustainability
accolades, has been challenging. According to Chin, there is a whole
slew of criteria to qualify for the GSTC accreditation even for just one
property, let alone the GSTC-D that involves rounding up every
organisation within the area. The whole island had to work hand-in-hand
to ensure that the practices on sustainability are up to the standard
that GSTC expects, like protecting the environment, establishing
progressive labour practices, preserving heritage and more.
According
to Chin, not only can MICE groups tick off all the right boxes in their
ESG goals, they can also expect a diverse range of
sustainability-driven incentive programmes and events that are both
eco-friendly and enjoyable:
• Access to untouched nature treks,
limited to only guided groups to prevent mass tourism from disrupting
the natural environment – if groups are lucky, they may even see
hawksbill turtle nests along these trails
• Teeing off at Sentosa Golf Club, named the World’s Best Eco-Friendly Golf Facility
•
Gaining a sense of respect for the environment by blending essences
extracted from Singapore’s botanicals into a customised perfume or
forest bathing, offered by Scentopia.
•
Gala dinner on the beach, akin to Sentosa’s Golden Jubilee celebration,
which reduces carbon footprint as there is no air-conditioning
required, red meat is not served and wood structures are FSC-certified
Expanding on the Sentosa Carbon Neutral Network, SDC has additionally
developed a MICE playbook in September for its island partners that
will enable them to compute the carbon footprint for every business
event and determine if more sustainability practices can be implemented.
“Today a lot of people have sustainability in mind when they plan to
travel. A recent report on Expedia outlined that 60% of guests will take
sustainability into consideration before planning their trips, and up
to one-third are willing to pay a premium,” Chin remarked.
“And I think you will see in the MICE sector that corporates are very
aware and conscious – in fact a lot of corporates have sustainability
as a very important part of their strategic development, which every
single party in our island offers.”