She then worked in Singapore’s Economic Development Board for 17 years, taking care of various sectors, from health care to oil and gas before taking over the helm of the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) as its CEO four years ago.
She described this transition in her career as “one from hard to soft”.
“But tourism is actually not a soft option as the industry is very hard and competitive. You have to deal with millions of visitors and you have to find the best way to deliver their experiences,” she told Yeoh Siew Hoon, editor and founder of WIT, during their session in Bangkok.
Then there are the KPIs (Key Performance Indicator) to meet. “We worry about visitor numbers, expenditure, manpower going into the industry and value add.”
For her, it’s an industry that’s as measured by numbers as the other business sectors she’s been exposed to.
You could say that Aw came in at the right time. She took on the job just as the Integrated Resorts were being completed, two developments that would transform tourism on the island state.
Under her watch though, there’s no doubt she’s managed to solidy Singapore’s leadership position in the regional and global tourism landscape. The city received a healthy 13.1 million visitor arrivals last year and you could say Brand Singapore has never been stronger.
Aw is a big believer in knowing what customers want. In the past year, the STB has invested huge resources into consumer studies to understand what the new travellers from key source markets like China, India and ASEAN want. With Asia now forming 80% of visitors to Singapore, it is vital Singapore tourism suppliers understand what these visitors need.
Most of the research was done inhouse. “It’s far better to build up our own competencies and it is now a full-blown team,” said Aw.
For example, the research into Vietnam revealed a huge desire among young Vietnamese to pursue education in Singapore.
“There are many private schools in Singapore, so we developed a simple programme to allow the would-be students to sample a school a day, then move on to another. This allows them to do their own research and choose the school they want” explained Aw.
STB’s research into China showed that the new travellers are newly-affluent, eager to see the world, are discerning, seek indepth experiences and desire to escape big cities. Respondents expressed a desire for local experiences which are “off the beaten track, unique, one of a kind”.
While there is a perception that travellers from China like to cover do many things on one trip, the market is evolving with some now wishing to cover one destination indepth.
China is an important source of tourism receipts to Singapore as 56% of total spend of Chinese visitors – numbering 1.6 million in 2011 – went into shopping, far higher than other visitors.
These insights have enabled STB to refine its products to meet specific market needs, said Aw.
The NTO is also a big advocate of leveraging social media and digital channels to push the brand. Its creation of “Your Singapore” was a huge success as it was different from the usual brand campaigns of other tourism organisations, said Aw.
“We created an online story about Singapore, which doesn’t say anything about the country; it’s entirely up to you to customise and create what you want to do when you plan a visit, to create your own version of Singapore.”
Gaming has helped in creating more awareness for the brand. “The Sngapore skyline has changed with the opening of the two casinos – Marina Bay Sands and Resorts World Sentosa. We could capitalise on them, but they don’t completely contribute to tourism receipts.”
Every brand has its personality and she describes Singapore’s as “open-minded, intense (positive), dynamic, energetic, always on the move.”
Aw sees Asia as the future for Singapore. “Longhaul markets have grown but Asia is growing faster,” she added.
As for the gender mix, it is about 50%:50%. “We don’t look at markets based on gender, more on needs and motivation, for example passion for food or music.”
And what difference does she want to make to Singapore?
“Help the industry understand the needs of the visitors, innovate and create meaning for the industry, connect with people and what they can create in travel.”
Next journey? (see Editor’s note below)
“I am open to anything, to new adventures. I didn’t imagine I would be doing this (tourism chief) but I an enjoying every step of the four years helming the board. There has has been no real moment as it’s about enjoying the journey.”
Editor’s note: Aw Kah Peng will step down from the Singapore Tourism Board on May 31 to pursue personal interests, after more than 20 years in the public sector. Lionel Yeo takes over as the Singapore Tourism Board’s (STB) chief executive from June 1.
Yeo is currently deputy secretary (Development) in the Public Service Division of the Prime Minister’s Office, and CEO and dean of the Civil Service College. Before this he was a director in the Trade Division of the Ministry of Trade & Industry, and a director for taxation policy at the Ministry of Finance, and had worked at the Ministry of Information, Communications, and the Arts and the Ministry of Community, Youth and Sports, respectively.
