SINGAPORE - Zipping around town in a vintage Vespa sidecar; yacht trips to the pristine sands and relative quiet of Lazarus Island; and walking tours of under-the-radar neighbourhoods such as Balestier and Jalan Besar.
Before Covid-19, these activities were rarely on the radar of leisure tourists, many of whom stopped by Singapore on a whirlwind two-to-three day itinerary en route to Australia or other parts of South-east Asia.
But tourism players believe the past 18 months spent developing new tours, hotel packages and promotions for a discerning local market have strengthened Singapore's value proposition as the country opens up to more international visitors under the Vaccinated Travel Lane (VTL) scheme.
The VTL scheme, launched in September and expanded this month, allows quarantine-free travel for visitors from 11 countries, including Britain and the United States.
The first wave of VTL travellers who arrived last week comprised mostly long-term residents here or those visiting family and friends. Still, industry players hope more leisure travellers will be arriving in the coming months, and have plans to woo them.
The country must continue to invest in tourism infrastructure such as accommodation, attractions, recreational sites and entertainment precincts, says Professor Abhishek Bhati, campus dean at James Cook University in Singapore, who specialises in tourism research.
One such site is the upcoming Mandai Wildlife Reserve, which will house a total of five wildlife parks including the Singapore Zoo and River Wonders - as the River Safari has been renamed. It will also include a new bird park called Bird Paradise and a new Rainforest Wild park.
Although development has been hampered by the pandemic, parks' operator Mandai Wildlife Group said it is aiming to open the new attractions by 2022 and 2024 respectively.
Despite having visitorship halved by the pandemic, existing attractions such as Gardens by the Bay have continued to roll out new displays, such as the current Tulipmania, which also showcases the culture and architecture of Central Asia.
Director of business development Ong Kian Ann said: "Even when overseas travel was at a standstill, Gardens by the Bay continued with a series of signature events and popular floral displays to serve the local community. We believe our approach of making the Gardens an attractive destination for all will now serve us well when it comes to VTL travellers."
Hotel groups, too, are making plans for the long-haul with new brands set to open next year.
Among them are the Pullman Singapore Orchard and the Raffles Sentosa Resort and Spa Singapore, operated by hospitality group Accor.
More immediately, hotels are rolling out promotions to woo VTL guests. The Fullerton Hotel Singapore and The Fullerton Bay Hotel Singapore last month launched an "Experience Fullerton Hospitality" package that includes $50 dining credit and a limousine transfer for guests who stay three nights or more.
Meanwhile, PPHG's chief sales and marketing officer Ms Cinn Tan said the group is looking to roll out VTL and country-specific promotions in the coming months.
So while the road to recovery will be long, companies in the tourism sector believe better days are ahead.
Some, such as founder of walking tour company Indie Singapore, Mr Toh Thiam Wei, have already seen positive signs.
Mr Toh has had "a handful" of bookings from VTL travellers from Germany visiting family here, with about half of them booking new tours developed for the local market. These include a "Traditional Taste" food tour in Chinatown where participants get to sample local food.
Mr Steven Ler, president of the National Association of Travel Agents Singapore, said: "There has been a lot of creativity and product innovation in the tourism industry. This is valuable content for us to market Singapore overseas and can be readily deployed to woo tourists."
