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Tourism Sustainability Programme
Be supported on your tourism business’ sustainability journey.
Last updated 5 February 2025
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Singapore’s Sustainable Tourism Strategy
Singapore Tourism Board (STB) developed a vision for Singapore to become a City in Nature, where Large Experiences come with Small Footprints. The following focus areas articulate the strategies to achieve our vision, which needs to be executed in close collaboration between the Government and tourism sector.
Strategic Focus #1: Becoming a sustainable urban destination
Make sustainability fun.
Develop sustainable tourism hardware and software.
Create a sustainable experience across all consumer touchpoints.
Strategic Focus #2: Building a sustainable tourism sector
Associations to provide industry-specific directions to shape businesses’ sustainability strategies.
Leverage innovation to support sustainable tourism outcomes.
Build the sustainability-related capabilities of our workforce.
Strategic Focus #3: Showcasing Singapore as a sustainable urban destination
Showcase sustainable experiences and stories.
Highlight Singapore’s strengths as an innovative destination.
Sustainability Roadmaps
We are committed to paving the way for a more sustainable future. Explore our latest roadmaps that outline strategies for various sectors within the tourism industry:
Singapore Hotel Sustainability Roadmap by STB and SHA (Singapore Hotel Association)
Singapore MICE Sustainability Roadmap by STB and SACEOS (Singapore Association of Convention & Exhibition Organisers & Suppliers)
Tourism Sustainability Programme
The Tourism Sustainability Program (TSP) aims to support tourism businesses' sustainability journeys at all stages of development, equipping you to build your workforce capabilities and develop innovative solutions to capture opportunities from sustainable travel.
Focus areas of the TSP and relevant resources and support.
No. | Strategy Focus Area | Resource | Grant/Funding support |
|---|---|---|---|
1 | Pursue sustainability certification Through the certification process, businesses can also better understand how to improve their end-to-end business processes and take stock of their sustainability capabilities to develop interventions and address areas for improvement. | 1. Hotels 2a. Business Events 2b. All events 3. Tour Operators | Certification-related costs can be relevant qualifying costs for the following grants. Leisure events:
|
4. Others: E.g., Asset, Environment and Facilities Management/Food Safety (local companies) |
| ||
2 | Leverage innovation to support sustainable tourism outcomes | 1. Test-bedding Solutions 2. Sustainability Solutions (Coming soon)
| Technology/ Innovation Adoption |
3 | Build the sustainability-related capabilities of the tourism workforce | 1. Training Programmes Topics:
*More hotel-focused training here. *More MICE-focused training here. | |
2.Industry Guidance/ Other information/ resources
| - |
Opportunities in Sustainable Tourism
Rise in Sustainable Travel
83% of travellers confirm that sustainable travel is important to them.
75% of global travellers say that they want to travel more sustainably over the next year.
43% feel guilty when they make less sustainable travel choices.
45% think they themselves have the potential to counteract the social impacts of travel.
With the increasing demand for sustainable travel options, tourism businesses can ride on this opportunity by creating more sustainable experiences for visitors and moving towards more sustainable operations.
Source: Booking.com, Sustainable Travel Report 2024
Potential addressable market for Singapore
51.5 – 61.6 million visitors are interested in travelling to Singapore sustainably over the next decade. According to a 2021 study conducted by STB based on six study markets (Australia, China, Indonesia, Japan, UK, and USA, this segment has also indicated a stronger willingness to pay for more sustainable products and services. This segment is likely to include visitors who:
Engage in sustainable behaviours day-to-day,
Typically 25 to 45 years old,
Employed,
And travel with their partner and/or children.
According to a 2023 Overseas Visitors Survey, visitors in Singapore are also aware of and have taken actions such as booking a sustainable hotel or taking a sustainable form of transport.
Local Community Engagement
Sustainable tourism also supports the local community such as through the greening of existing jobs in the sector and encouraging tourists' purchase of local products. Tourism businesses can look at re-engaging locals through sustainable tourism experiences, turning them into advocates for Singapore.
Most Singapore residents want to make tourists feel positive about Singapore.
The majority viewed tourism’s contribution to Singapore positively and agreed that tourism promotes an overall positive image of Singapore.
Tourist spending on local job offerings and job creation were the top two contributors of tourism to Singapore's economy.
Residents generally found Singapore’s tourism experiences enjoyable and would revisit.
The majority also felt that Singapore’s tourism sector needs to stay competitive by constantly introducing and refreshing offerings.
Source: STB’s survey of Singapore residents, 2023.