Partnership includes marketing campaigns across six key markets in the region
Travel and experiences platform Klook and Mandai Wildlife Group have announced a three-year strategic partnership to boost international visitorship to the Mandai Wildlife Reserve, the integrated wildlife and nature precinct home to Singapore’s wildlife parks.
Leveraging Klook’s digital marketing and social content capabilities and reach in the Asia-Pacific region, the collaboration targets the growing millennial and Gen-Z segment in six key markets namely Australia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand and South Korea.
This marks the first time Mandai Wildlife Group is embarking on a multi-year, multi-market partnership with Klook, one of the largest online travel agencies, a go-to app for travel and leisure experiences in Asia Pacific. Together, Mandai Wildlife Group and Klook will co-develop regional marketing campaigns as well as curate bundles and activities for discerning international visitors and position the precinct of the Mandai Wildlife Reserve as a top-of-mind destination in Singapore.
It’s worth noting that this isn’t the first collaboration that the Mandai group has embarked on this year. In March, they formed a partnership with yet another key player in the travel and experiences space, Go City, on the premise of creating a smoother ‘tours and attractions’ booking experience for the customer, while increasing visibility for both entities.
As with Go City, partnering with Mandai Wildlife Group seems to address a demand for sustainable and ethical travel choices by new travellers, especially in the younger demographics. Mandai operates popular wildlife parks including Singapore Zoo and Night Safari, which rank within the Top 5 zoos in the world. The zoo is also famous for its ethical handling of animals in captivity, which falls in line with rising trends of tourists making more eco-conscious choices on their trips.
This sentiment was echoed by Eric Gnock Fah, Chief Operating Officer & Co-Founder at Klook. “Our collaboration reflects our shared values and commitment to responsible tourism and protecting the planet and its wildlife. With social content being the perfect medium to showcase the amazing experiences at Mandai, we aim to attract a younger demographic of travellers to explore new adventures and create meaningful memories.”
Also, as part of both companies’ commitment to sustainability, a core focus of the partnership will be on raising awareness of wildlife conservation efforts and taking actions towards living sustainably for the benefit of people, wildlife, nature and the planet that we all share. Users can also opt for “Choose Good, Do Good” bundles where a portion of the proceeds will go towards Mandai Wildlife Group’s conservation efforts across Southeast Asia.
In an effort to raise awareness, Mandai is driving a rejuvenation plan at the Mandai Wildlife Reserve, adjacent to Singapore’s Central Catchment Nature Reserve, that will integrate five wildlife parks with distinctive nature-based experiences, green public spaces and an eco-friendly resort. The Group advocates for biodiversity, contributes leading wildlife research, develops solutions to promote living sustainably, and collaborates with conservation partners in Singapore and Southeast Asia, as well as providing funding for conservation work across Southeast Asia.
The partnership, which begins in April 2023, will kick off with an integrated pan-region digital campaign, a series of online-to-offline activations, original social content as well as new offerings sold exclusively on Klook’s platform. Both companies also plan to launch the Mandai Klook Pass and other customised bundles that pair admission tickets with food, wildlife experiences, transportation and SIM cards for connectivity. These bundles aim to create a seamless experience for different groups of travellers.
Ms Jean Choi, Chief Sales and Marketing Officer at Mandai Wildlife Group said, “With travel rebounding, Mandai Wildlife Group is looking at new ways to engage travellers in the region, especially from our top markets. We want to be culturally relevant and in the minds of the young working adults and youth segments who are always on the lookout for new experiences. With this group being the key demographic users of Klook, there is a lot of synergy to fuel our partnership.”
The first marquee campaign under the partnership will kick off with events this year including the soft opening of Singapore’s new bird park at the Mandai Wildlife Reserve – Bird Paradise – on 8 May 2023, Singapore Zoo’s 50th anniversary or Golden ZOObilee, and a series of specially curated mini-events which aim to appeal to young couples to go on memorable dates at the Mandai Wildlife Reserve.
