STB looks to attract Malaysian tourists with curated deals and cashless payment options

The Singapore Tourism Board (STB) has partnered with digital payment platform, Alipay+, and eWallet company, TNG Digital, to promote travel in Singapore among Malaysian visitors.

The partnership will offer Malaysian travellers curated deals for their next holiday in Singapore, along with more cashless payment options and a range of in-destination promotions.

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Malaysian users of TNG Digital’s Touch ‘n Go eWallet, which is a payment partner of the Alipay+ ecosystem, will be able to use it to book flights and purchase travel insurance prior to their trips. As more promotions get rolled out in the coming months, users will also be able to pay and redeem deals through the eWallet across lifestyle merchants in Singapore, including retail stores, tourist attractions, and restaurants.

This partnership builds on the steady rebound in international travel and tourism in Singapore, according to a press release by STB. Between January and October 2023, Singapore recorded more than 11 million visitor arrivals globally. Malaysia constitutes one of Singapore’s top three tourism source markets, with more than 891,000 visitor arrivals in the same period.

The partnership will also cover co-investment in joint marketing campaigns and collaborations to onboard more Singapore-based merchants to offer tourist promotions on the platform.

“Travellers in the post-pandemic world expect a seamless traveller experience enabled by contactless payments,” said Terrence Voon, executive director, Southeast Asia at STB. He added that the collaboration with TNG Digital and Alipay+ taps into this trend to promote Singapore as a destination of choice for travellers.

Alipay+ will also work with TNG Digital to promote its A+ Rewards programme within the eWallet, enabling more Singaporean stakeholders to showcase their lifestyle offerings through both platforms.

“Working closely with STB, we will enable Malaysian tourists to discover and visit more local merchants, to pay easily with their home e-wallet, TNG Digital, and enjoy greater savings,” said Douglas Feagin, senior vice president of Ant Group and head of Alipay+ at Ant International.

Feagin added that the enhanced digital payments will also benefit Singaporean merchants with increased tourism.

In the same vein, Danny Chua, chief commercial officer of TNG Digital added that the firm has already connected over 21 million users with more than 2 million merchant touchpoints in Malaysia. “Our users now have additional incentives to spend, receive perks and earn GOrewards points with Touch 'n Go eWallet when they travel to Singapore," he said.

The partnership comes in line with STB’s ongoing efforts to promote tourist footfall in the country. On the global front, it recently launched its “Made in Singapore” campaign to inspire travellers to choose the country as their next travel destination in September 2023.

The campaign aimed to spotlight quintessentially Singaporean experiences, from attractions to hidden gems, in order to keep Singapore top of mind for travellers. Beyond film and social, the campaign also included in-market activations, industry partnerships, collaborations with content creators, as well as familiarisation trips to immerse media and influencers in "Made in Singapore" experiences.

It also collaborated with Singaporean singer, Nathan Hartono, in October 2023 to inspire travel to Singapore through music and photography in a content series titled “Singapore Close-Ups”. This was also part of the “Made in Singapore” global campaign, with a focus on reframing ordinary moments into extraordinary and unique experiences in the country.

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