Singapore Tourism Board to deepen engagements with locals and expats: Mohamed Firhan

Mohamed Firhan Abdul Salam joined the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) in 2009 and assumed the position of Area Director, Middle East and Africa, based in Dubai on 9 November 2014.

Prior to his posting to Dubai, Mohamed Firhan was posted to STB Indonesia for 2.5 years where he was heavily involved in both marketing and business development work of the office.

On the marketing front, he spearheaded key projects like the annual integrated leisure marketing campaigns and media partnerships. He was instrumental in developing the Investing for Growth in Indonesia’s Secondary Cities Plan which outlined STB’s engagement strategies for these emerging markets in the coming years. He was also the lead officer for cruise, education and sports tourism business developments efforts in-market.

Before his overseas stint, he was in the BTMICE division where he was responsible for business development efforts to create, secure and anchor globally significant trade events in Singapore for selected industries.

Mohamed Firhan graduated with a Bachelor of Arts and Social Sciences honors degree, majoring in Political Science from the National University of Singapore (NUS).

Mohamed Firhan is single, enjoys travelling and is a newly certified diver with plans to see the (underwater) world.

Here are the Excepts from an interview with him.

• What are the strategies and plans to grow market in UAE and Middle East?

The Singapore Tourism Board (STB) is diversifying and expanding resources beyond its key traditional source markets of Southeast Asia, China, India and Australia and recognizes the potential in Middle East and Africa. The STB office in Dubai has plans to deepen our engagements with the local families and expat markets in 2015 and 2016 to increase the mindshare of Singapore as an attractive leisure destination.

Leisure campaigns complemented by digital and social media activities will be launched in due course. There are also plans to engage the trade more consistently to familiarize and deepen their knowledge about Singapore and its wide ranging products for all segments of the leisure and business travel market.

• What are the major challenges in front of you and how do you plan to deal with them/overcome them?

The travel business is getting very competitive and the space for destination marketing is also saturated. How do we ensure our messages and promotions cut through the clutter ? The challenge is to find channels and ways to engage consumers meaningfully and convince them of a memorable and authentic Singapore experience. The value proposition has got to clear and strong. We have to identify the right platforms and partners to be able to do this well because as a destination, Singapore has so much to offer in a clean and safe environment.

• Why do you feel Middle East is a significant market for Singapore ?

We have seen encouraging growth of visitors from the Middle East to Singapore over the years. United Arab Emirates visitor arrivals tops at 75,700 in 2014, representing a 4% year-on-year growth. Saudi Arabia is our second largest source market from the Middle East and in 2014, we welcomed 25,750 visitors from the Kingdom. This represents an increase of 23% year-on-year. Qatar is also a key arrival source market from the region, registering a 3.8% year-on-year growth with visitor arrivals into Singapore at 12,261 in 2014.  Other Middle East markets that are doing well for us are Iran, Kuwait and Oman. STB recognizes the potential and with the increasing air capacities and links, we look forward to welcoming more quality visitors from this region.

• What kind of new offers you are about to introduce in this region? What new tourism attractions are coming up in Singapore ? What’s unique for UAE visitors ?

Singapore has grown in appeal as a stand-alone leisure destination while continuing to be a favourite stop-over destination for many visitors from the region. This is in no small part due to new and constantly refreshed offerings such as Gardens by the Bay, River Safari, world-class events and a vibrant dining scene. With the many things happening in Singapore all the time, Lonely Planet has named Singapore as the top country destination to visit in 2015.

Leisure travellers with an interest in art and cultural institutions can look forward to new attractions such as the famed private art museum Pinacothèque de Paris opening its first Asian outpost in Singapore in 2015 and the National Gallery Singapore. Visitors can also enjoy sporting and lifestyle events like the WTA Finals from 23 October to 1 November 2015 and the only Formula 1 night street race in the world from 18 to 20 September 2015.

• Please describe Singapore as a Shopper’s Paradise.

The vibrant retail scene, with latest collection of major fashion labels and growing number of boutiques of local designers that are getting regional and international recognition affirms Singapore’s position as one of Asia’s premier shopping destination, which is a big draw for the Middle Eastern visitors. Besides the convenience of shopping along the famed Orchard Road, visitors can also explore hidden gems like Ann Siang Hill, Haji Lane and the ethnic precincts like Little India, Kampong Glam and Chinatown for a different shopping experience. The safe, clean and green city gives visitors a sense of security and comfort while on holiday and shopping in Singapore.

Any serious shopper would know of the Great Singapore Sale which happens annually May to July where retailers slash prices and offer great discounts island-wide. The Great Singapore Sale season will literally make shoppers shop till they drop!

• How do you see the market growing in next 5 years on the tourism map?

Singapore is celebrating its 50 years of independence in 2015 and it is well-positioned and ready for the future. Singapore will continue to build on its fundamentals to ensure we are in a good position to take advantage of opportunities arising from the fast-changing local and global environments. At this point, there may not be many big infrastructural tourism developments in the horizon but we are working closely with our industry stakeholders to continually upgrade our “software” while rejuvenating existing products, services and experiences. Our Quality Tourism approach is gaining traction and will continue to guide STB’s strategies and investments in the respective markets.

• Please throw some light on food and entertainment attractions of Singapore?

With a significant Muslim community, Singapore has no shortage of halal food outlets. Visitors from the Middle East can also take comfort in the wide range of Halal culinary offerings in Singapore, from affordable local cuisines at street hawkers to fine dining at the many celebrity restaurants that have popped up in the city.

Singapore offers a perfect mix of attractions, entertainment and authentic experiences for the entire family, all concentrated and easily accessible to one another.  We have a host of world-class attractions such as the iconic Marina Bay Sands, Universal Studios and Marine Life Park at the Resorts World Sentosa, Gardens by the Bay, River Safari, Night Safari and the annual Formula-1 Grand Prix which is the world’s first night street race, happening from 18-20 September 2015. The accessibility and ease of commuting within the country makes it extremely convenient for tourists to enjoy the many attractions within the island city.

• Please throw some light on the air connectivity and hotel room stock in Singapore.

The connectivity to Singapore from this region is not an issue. As of February 2015, there are 53 weekly flights from United Arab Emirates (Abu Dhabi and Dubai) to Singapore with a total capacity of 18,577 weekly seats. For the same period, there are 9 weekly flights from Saudi Arabia to Singapore with a total capacity of 2,845 weekly seats. With a premier air hub status, visitors will continue to travel through Singapore and we hope they will take the opportunity to see and explore the city.

We acknowledge the feedback from visitors and trade on the consistently high accommodation costs in Singapore. The hotel room rates in Singapore are determined by market forces but we hear the concerns and in 2014, we added about 57,172 rooms in Singapore across the various class ranges. This represents a 3.9% year-on-year increase in room stock.  Some of the hotels that have opened in 2014 include the Sofitel So, Hotel Jen Orchardgateway, One Farrer Hotel and Spa and Holiday Inn Express Clarke Quay Singapore. The following hotels will be opening soon; The Patina, South Beach, Park Hotel Alexandra and Genting Hotel Jurong.