Singapore (Commonwealth Union)_ With approximately 4,000 job opportunities in the tourism sector, hospitality school students in Singapore are preparing to support the country’s efforts to become a destination for sustainable tourism and urban wellness. As of September 2022, more than 65,000 individuals, or approximately 78% of the figures from the pre-pandemic year of 2019, were working in the tourism business.
According to Ms. Jeannie Lim, assistant chief executive of the Singapore Tourism Board (STB), tourism firms are actively hiring to support recovery, and the emergence of the sustainability and wellness sectors has necessitated new positions and skill sets. She stated, “As tourism businesses continue to push the frontier in developing sustainable products, infrastructure, and experiences, we see an increasing demand for green jobs such as a sustainability manager or a carbon accountant”.
While addressing the Tourism Transformation 2023, a joint polytechnic-ITE hospitality and tourism career exhibition conducted at Singapore Polytechnic, Ms Lim said, “Existing roles will also undergo some degree of transformation, for example, a product development manager will now need to acquire new skill sets in sustainable supply chain management”. Ms. Lim added that travelers have a stronger interest in sustainable travel alternatives, such as eco-friendly hotels and destinations, owing to increased environmental awareness. She added, “Hence, there are plenty of opportunities to create new green jobs, transform our industries, and harness sustainability as a competitive advantage”.
According to Ms. Lim, opportunities are bright in the hotel industry, since 4,000 additional hotel rooms will open in 2023. New hotel openings include the March openings of Mondrian Singapore Duxton and Raffles Sentosa Resort & Spa, which will be inaugurated in the second half of 2023. Singapore’s tourism industry is poised for a solid comeback. Accordingly, STB stated that foreign visitor numbers are projected to reach 12 million to 14 million in 2023, which is twofold compared to the Republic’s 2022 total of 6.3 million. In addition, tourism receipts are estimated to increase by between $18 and $21 billion, with a full recovery forecast by 2024.
Low Yen Ling, Minister of State for Trade and Industry, who also addressed the Tourism Transformation 2023, stated that hospitality schools and courses at polytechnics and the Institute of Technical Education (ITE) are continuously upgrading their syllabus and training programs to meet these demands and equip students with the skills necessary to support the industry’s growth. This event, which is currently in its fifth year, is on a mission to promote tourism as a viable career option for students at polytechnics and ITE. It is also a forum for industry partners in different tourism-related areas to discuss employment opportunities.
At the event, there were nearly 15 exhibitors from several tourism-related industries, including attractions, meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions (Mice), and tours and travel. They featured major businesses such as Mount Faber Leisure Group and event management firm Pico Art, which organizes the Singapore Night Festival and I Light Singapore. Soh Wai Wah, principal and chief executive officer of Singapore Polytechnic (SP), remarked that sustainable tourism and wellness have rapidly become the development potential for the tourist sector.
In order to prepare graduates for growing employment prospects in the industry, students have already begun incorporating sustainability practices and tactics into their course work while arranging events in support of the industry’s transition towards sustainability. For instance, under the SP’s Diploma in Integrated Events & Project Management program, students helped host two sustainable events in 2022, known as Design Thinking | User Experience 2022 and Architecture & Building Services, by using e-brochures instead of printed ones and following practices such as avoiding over-ordering of food.
One of the attendees of the exhibition was 19-year-old second-year SP student Javan Law, who hopes to enter the Mice business. He stated, “The tourism industry is attractive, and I can’t wait to join the industry and be part of large-scale, major events like F1 and FHA-Food & Beverage. So far in coursework and projects, we see that there’s always a sustainability component, but once I’m on an internship, hopefully I get to see it in action.”
