The Singapore Tourism Board (STB) has signed a three-year Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Grab, Southeast Asia’s leading ride-hailing platform, aiming to provide a better experience for visitors to Singapore.
Under the MOU, Grab and STB will collaborate on a wide range of initiatives that will be rolled out in phases. This includes extending the cashless experience to visitors. E-payments is one of the strategic Smart Nation projects. In line with the national push to go cashless, Grab and STB will roll out GrabPay, Grab’s mobile wallet
payment solution, at tourist hotspots such as hawker centres, dining establishments, cultural and lifestyle precincts, shopping centres and tourist attractions.
To further boost the adoption of cashless payments in a more targeted manner, Grab and STB will exchange insights on visitor preferences. Tourists can experience these hotspots without having to change for local currency, and redeem GrabRewards points through the Grab app to discover other experiences and events.
Grab and STB will also launch a joint study to better understand visitors’ behavioural patterns and preferences for transport modes to get around Singapore. The insights gained are expected to help both Grab and STB to tailor offerings that are more relevant to visitors and enhance their overall experience.
Another initiative under MOU focuses on facilitating easier access to travel information. Grab will share its booking APIs (Application Programming Interfaces) in phases through STB’s Tourism Information & Services Hub (TIH [1]).
This will allow select tourism businesses to integrate Grab’s various tools into their own digital platforms. This will enable visitors to better plan travel routes by providing easier access to information about estimated fares and waiting times.
Grab will also offer extensive mobility solutions for business travellers through its range of services, from GrabCoach to GrabCar Premium, to STB’s partners in the Meetings, Incentive Travel, Conventions and Exhibitions (MICE) industry in Singapore.
“Our collaboration with Grab extends beyond transportation to include sharing of consumer intelligence data and spearheading innovation and technological initiatives. With Grab’s extensive presence in the Southeast Asian region, which contributes a very large share of our visitors, we are confident of reaching a sizable audience through the multi-faceted touch points offered through the Grab app. Together, we will create a travel experience that is both seamless and personalised to the needs of our visitors,” said Mr. Quek Choon Yang, Chief Technology Officer, Singapore Tourism Board.
“Singapore is a great place to live, visit, work and play. At Grab, we are continuously working to make Singapore’s transport and payments systems seamless, convenient and accessible for all. STB brings onboard its deep understanding of tourism trends, patterns and behaviours in Singapore. Our collaboration with STB will help ensure that locals and visitors alike can enjoy the same quality experience as they explore our city using the Grab app,” Lim Kell Jay, Head of Grab Singapore.
[1] The TIH is a B2B platform developed by STB which allows businesses to both contribute and access the most up-to-date information and travel services. TIH would serve as a central API gateway that aggregates destination content and services, and distributes them seamlessly across TIH-linked tourism-related digital channels such as websites, mobile application and kiosks. Businesses can benefit from increased exposure of their product offerings and efficiencies in sharing and updating of tourism-related content, while STB can obtain rich data insights on the visitor journey.)
