THE decline in business travel to Singapore last year has dented overall tourism performance for the destination as tourism receipts fell 6.8 per cent year-on-year in 2015 to S$22 billion (US$15.7 billion), even as international visitor arrivals climbed 0.9 per cent to 15.2 million.

Poorer tourism receipts were largely due to a six per cent fall in BTMICE visitor arrivals, with a corresponding eight per cent drop in per capita expenditure, according to the Singapore Tourism Board’s chief executive Lionel Yeo.

Speaking to TTGmice e-Weekly, Yeo said while 25 per cent of the total number of visitors to Singapore belong to the BTMICE pie, their expenditure can be double that of a leisure traveller.

Yeo said: “As the average BTMICE visitor spends about twice more than the average leisure visitor, the fall in BTMICE visitor arrivals and spending due to companies cutting back on both travel and trip budgets has had a significant impact on our tourism receipts.”

STB deputy chief executive, Melissa Ow, added that China and India took a great hit in terms of business travel traffic.

“But we are encouraged by the performance of our business events in 2015 where attendance was very healthy,” she added.

Ow highlighted that STB supported more than 350 business events in 2015, which was a 27 per cent year-on-year increase from 2014. This resulted in 287,000 visitor arrivals, a year-on-year hike of 0.3 per cent.

“An example is Sibos 2015 in October, which saw over 30 per cent increase in attendance to more than 7,000 visitors,” she said.

“We recognise business traffic will be subjected to some of the conditions that will impact overall economies. That means there are a lot of opportunities for us to think about how we might grow our business events,” Ow remarked.

Significant upcoming business events secured by the Lion City include the International Council of Nurses World Congress 2019 which will see 3,000 visitors, the Intelligent Transport Systems World Congress 2019 which is expecting 6,000 guests, as well as the Lions Clubs International Convention 2020 which is expected to host an impressive 20,000 guests.

Last year, STB announced a 35 per cent increase in marketing investment to enhance the Lion City’s BTMICE appeal.

When asked how STB plans to further court the BTMICE traffic in 2016, Ow said: “We will continue with our strategy to work with our industry stakeholders, to be more specific and targeted in our approach. We will also expand on our media partnerships and as well as global partnerships with online partners.”

ACCORDING to the Global Destination Index 2016 compiled by destination and events management company Pacific World, Singapore, Thailand and Indonesia are Asia’s hottest destinations for meetings and incentives among source markets including North America, Australia and other parts of Asia.

Bert Chamrernnusit, destination manager of Pacific World Thailand, commented on the results: “(The lifting of the) state of emergency and martial law in Thailand has contributed to (Thailand) being an appealing (destination) for meetings and incentives.”

Meanwhile, Wayan Sumadi, meeting & incentives manager of Pacific World Indonesia, attributed Indonesia’s popularity with the US market to “the government expediting visas to enter the region and improving flight connections to Indonesia”.

He added that Bali in particular was most popular as it satisfies the demand for special activities that involve interactions with the locals.

Commenting on the popularity of Singapore, Gina Lim, destination manager of Pacific World Singapore, said the city has been able to keep up with clients’ demand for itineraries that go beyond the conventional sightseeing.

“Clients want to be stimulated, inspired and engaged. Singapore is constantly reinventing (itself) with improved facilities to meet the challenge (of impressing a world-savvy audience).”

MALAYSIA’S travel industry is feeling the effects of the global economic slowdown, and players interviewed are bracing themselves for a tough year ahead.

While the oil and gas related industries and the banking sector are harder hit by global economic movements, Foo Sze Zhaun, business development manager of Corporate Information Travel, said business travellers going for trade fairs and exhibitions in Europe have picked up slightly for the automotive, publishing and industrial machinery sectors.

Foo added that corporate demand is shifting from longhaul to regional destinations.

Syed Razif Al-Yahya, group managing director of Sutra Group of Companies, said the group’s revenue from government and corporate travel is expected to drop by 40 per cent this year.

After witnessing reduced government travel budgets and delayed corporate payments, Syed intends to mitigate the impact by courting the leisure travel segment, which currently comprises only 10 per cent of the group’s total business.

Malaysian hoteliers are also tweaking their target markets and products to ride out the economic storm.

Pullman Kuala Lumpur Bangsar’s general manager, Eric Tan, said the property will target more regional travellers, while Dorsett Kuala Lumpur is giving itself an edge in the competition for business travellers by collaborating with Zuger International and equipping guestrooms with smartphones that afford guests free 3G connectivity, local calls and SMSes.

IN CONJUNCTION with the opening of its sister hotel, 347-key Conrad Manila, SMX Convention Center Manila will offer convention and accommodation packages. The hotel will open in March or April.

Walid Wafik, SMX vice president – general manager, said: “We have been holding big exhibitions and events. Guests usually stay in other hotels. But soon, event organisations can (enjoy) exhibition and room packages with Conrad.”

With its own extensive meetings and banquet facilities, Conrad Manila is also hoping to complement SMX by becoming one of the caterers for the convention centre. The centre recently accredited 11 food caterers.

Wafik said that as Conrad will be connected by two footbridges to SMX, guests can enjoy the ease of access in getting to the convention centre and back.

SMX and Conrad Manila are part of SM Hotels & Convention Corp.

STARTING next month, UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) is launching a new scheme to support Indian companies bringing groups of 150 or more delegates into the UK, making the visa application procedure a more straightforward one for event organisers.

“In the last few years, UKVI has tried to improve its visa offers for Indian travellers. The new MICE scheme recognises the growing value of this market, and we are keen to support organisations bringing large groups to the UK,” said James Brokenshire, UK’s immigration minister who was on a five-day visit to India.

MICE groups will be given a point of contact at UKVI to discuss their trip and visa requirements, as well as a checklist of supporting documentation required. The organiser will then be required to sign a Memorandum of Understanding and agree to screen all visa applicants to ensure that they are eligible to apply for a visit visa under the MICE scheme. Once the applications are received, UKVI will assess them together as a group and return them in a timely manner.

Applicants under the MICE scheme can apply for their UK visa up to six months in advance. UKVI is also offering an option to avail premium services – such as group appointments where members can apply at the same visa application centre on a particular day and time – at an extra cost. Applicants can also utilise a priority service, allowing them access to a visa in three to five days.

“The processing time for group visas was previously long and there was uncertainty whether all travellers in the group will be issued a visa. Now with a dedicated point of contact, MICE organisers will be able ensure that all required documents are in place and their queries are addressed promptly,” commented Jasbir Singh, head – outbound tours, Travel Spirit International.