Singapore Tourism Board’s Bollywood and food integrations to revive footfall from India

Singapore has become a captivating backdrop for numerous Bollywood blockbusters, such as Krrish, Badrinath ki Dulhania, Dear Zindagi, De Dana Dan, Pyaar Impossible!, and many more. 

These films highlight the city's landmarks, generating an appeal that piques viewers' curiosity about the city.

The Singapore Tourism Board (STB) is actively seeking collaborations with leading film production houses in India, aiming to seamlessly showcase the city in upcoming Bollywood movies. 

Markus Tan, regional director of India, Middle East, South Asia & Africa at STB, emphasises that the organisation's approach extends beyond conventional travel promotion. 

Tan explains, "While partnering with Bollywood movies, our focus is not solely on promoting travel but rather to captivate audiences before they consider making travel plans." 

This approach aims to spark interest and curiosity around the city. 

“The focus is on creating desirability in the upper funnel, allowing customers to connect with the city organically,” he highlights.  

In its recent campaign, the tourism body has collaborated with 45 SOCIAL restaurants across nine cities on Zomato, Pass Code Only (PCO Cocktail Bar) locations across Mumbai and Delhi, additionally with TwentySeven Bakehouse in Bandra, Mumbai.

It has curated a limited edition menu showcasing the diverse culinary spirit of Singapore. 

He says, “The campaigns in other countries were solely focused on social media and out-of-home (OOH) without any food elements. From a Skyscanner (search aggregator and travel agency) report, we witnessed that Indians love food during travel. Therefore, we decided to make these collaborations.”

India takes the lead in vegetarianism, with a notable 38% of its population adhering to a vegetarian diet, as reported by World Atlas. Also, there exists a common perception among Indians that countries like Singapore prioritise meat and animal product consumption in their dietary habits. To burst this perception, STB also offers a wide range of vegetarian dishes to appeal to Indian tourists. 

The tourism board has also installed a 3D anamorphic installation at Phoenix Palladium Mall in Lower Parel, Mumbai from March 7-25, 2024. 

STB has also partnered with content creators and influencers to target markets other than Mumbai. 

"We've partnered with lifestyle media to invite their tastemakers and content creators to Singapore, encouraging them to capture and reinterpret the essence of Made in Singapore. This collaboration involves exploring various attractions, and museums of the city,” he mentions. 

STB is also partnering with Thomas Cook (an Indian travel agency) and RMT for a promotional campaign. “The goal is to create a 360-degree presence in the consumer engagement space. It’s about creating a gradual build-up, ensuring consumers consider exploring Singapore. Our approach is to weave the city into various aspects of consumer’s lives,” he adds.

Plans for India market 

Earlier, Indians used to travel to Singapore during the summers, or the year-end. However, according to Tan, the pattern is evolving, and the outbound travel market in terms of visitors from Indians are visiting Singapore is increasing rapidly. 

“Singapore witnessed a significant number of Indian visitors during traditional peaks (summers and year-end)), representing various segments such as families, friends and (tourists of) different age groups,” he emphasises.

For the Singapore Tourism Board, the top three countries in terms of outbound travel is Indonesia and Malaysia, followed by China. India was at the top in 2019 but slipped to fifth position in 2023.

According to STB, it has spent huge invested a significant marketing budget in the Indian market in the last five or ten years. “Before the pandemic, Singapore approximately welcomed 1.4 million Indian tourists. India accounted for nearly 75% of travelers until 2023, outpacing several major destinations; however, this number has not fully rebounded.,” he adds. 

There’s a huge interest in domestic travel in India, according to a report by Summer Vacation Index 2023, 82% of Indians intend to travel during the summer season. COVID-19 travel restriction-induced trend of rediscovering our own country. 

Does STB see this as a challenge?

He answers, “Our approach to stand out in the competitive tourism landscape is rooted in understanding the diverse travel behaviour of Indians. We believe that individuals seek a balance between international and local destinations.”

Regarding the target group of STB, they are targeting a wide spectrum of travellers from children, solo travellers, and groups. “Our deep consumer studies have revealed that Indians while travelling exhibit a strong desire to learn and enrich themselves. This influenced our campaigns, such as "Made in Singapore,” he says. 

He emphasises that shopping in Singapore emerges as the top spending category for Indian travellers. 

“Our target encompasses anyone with a passport, we are completing the 60th year of India-Singapore diplomatic ties, the aim is to deepen the relationship, and 360-degree presence. Our approach goes beyond conventional marketing, recognising the importance of connections and subtle storytelling.”

Goal for 2024 

STB’s primary goal is to drive the recovery of visitor arrivals in Singapore to pre-covid levels. “With direct access to 17 cities in India through various airlines including Singapore Airlines, Air India, Indigo, Air India Express and Vistara, the interest from both private and public sectors presents a promising opportunity for a swift recovery,” he mentions. 

The board is looking forward to deepening engagements with local communities and travel agents, extending beyond metro cities. He adds that the board is planning to conduct roadshows in cities like Chandigarh, Surat and Jaipur, and launch vernacular content to connect with a diverse audience.