'This is not the time to go on an acquisition drive', say SG tourism spot marketers

Parents rejoice. It has been almost two weeks since Singapore entered phase two of its recovery, and the tourism industry is slowly re-opening as well, meaning activities for families are slowly kicking off as well.  According to the Singapore Tourism Board, 13 tourist attractions in Singapore will be permitted to resume operations from 1 July onwards.

These attractions include:

•  Trampoline park Bounce
•  Flower Dome at Gardens by the Bay
•  Jurong Bird Park
•  Madame Tussauds Museum
•  River Safari
•  Singapore Zoo
•  Zero Latency
•  ArtScience Museum, Sands SkyPark and Observation Deck and Casino at Marina Bay Sands
•  Universal Studios Singapore, S.E.A. Aquarium and Casino at Resorts World Sentosa

Having been closed for the past three months, the tourism attractions are gradually re-opening with caution. Some such as Gardens by the Bay and Bounce are choosing to focus their marketing efforts on their loyal consumer bases.

Although it is allowed to resume operations from 1 July onwards, Gardens by the Bay is currently only opening its Flower Dome to its Friends of Gardens members first, before making the premise available to the general public on 11 July. In a statement to Marketing, a spokesperson from Gardens by the Bay said this is in appreciation of its members' support. 

Similarly, David Lim, general manager at Bounce and Zero Latency said that the company plans to engage with its existing customers upon re-opening. He said:

This is not the time to go on an acquisition drive for new customers. 

"Consumers are still reeling from the emotional, psychological and financial effects of the COVID-19 pandemic so it will be a largely futile task to convince new customers to visit," he said. Lim added that the attraction will focus its efforts on reminding loyal customers about the positive moments they had at Bounce, communicating largely through EDMs at the early stage of re-opening.

Additionally, Lim said it is staying clear of large-scale promotions during this time, citing reasons such as preventing chances of overcrowding and focusing on giving guests the best experience with all the safety measures implemented. 

"Furthermore, Bounce does not want to come across as callous and irresponsible by going over the top with our marketing activities at the moment as the public sentiment is still largely cautious. Once we get the hang of delivering the usual awesome Bounce experience even with the safety measures and depending on the prevailing mood of how Singapore is dealing with the pandemic, we will decide on whether to start expanding our marketing activities," he added. 

On the other hand, Wildlife Reserves Singapore (WRS) has decided to pause marketing efforts until August. According to Irene Lin, chief marketing officer, WRS, the attraction is taking a cautious approach, with its key focus being on the safety and well-being of its guests, staff and animals. WRS has also implemented stricter regulations such as reduced capacity and asking its guests to pre-book tickets and arrival times online.

Continuing with online efforts

With these tourism attractions not being able to operate at full capacity just yet, many of them have chosen to continue engaging its visitors in the online space. Speaking to Marketing, Gardens by the Bay's spokesperson said its communications will focus on ensuring peace of mind when visitors come to visit. "We are looking to maintain presence in [the public's] minds mainly through the online space," the spokesperson added.

Similarly, Resorts World Sentosa (RWS) told Marketing that it will continue engaging with its guests through its social media platforms. A spokesperson also added that RWS is also working closely with tourism agencies to enhance its destination marketing campaign and build demand for when global tourism returns. The spokesperson declined to comment on specific marketing strategies RWS will be taking with its re-opening of Universal Studios Singapore, S.E.A. Aquarium and its casino.

WRS' Lin also said it will continue offering virtual experiences such as its "Hello from the Wild Side" initiative that was launched during the Circuit Breaker period. The initiative allows the public to purchase virtual meet-and-greets with WRS' animals and have their questions answered. According to Lin, these virtual experiences will allow WRS to reach out and engage with guests who are not able to visit the attraction yet. She added that it enables WRS to transcend boundaries and continue to bring meaningful wildlife experiences to people’s homes. 

WRS has been actively engaging with the public through its social media channels, posting videos of animal keepers letting animals roam free or going for walks in the park. It has also produced educational videos that introduce its animals, such as how its orangutans stay cool.

Meanwhile, Lim from Bounce said it has been providing its guests with social media activity, which reminds them of how they used to engage with the trampoline park before the Circuit Breaker. "It is known that in difficult times, nostalgia is a power marketing tool to elicit positive feelings for and from consumers," Lim said. Thus, Bounce has been featuring past clips on tricks filmed in the past to remind customers about the awesome time they had at Bounce, in hopes to drive footfall to the attraction.

Separately two weeks ago, when phase two was just implemented, the Singapore Tourism Board urged hotels not to embark on marketing efforts to promote their staycation packages. In a frequently-asked-questions (FAQ) document seen by Marketing, STB said this regulation is to avoid public confusion, given that staycations are not allowed to resume for now.

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