Singapore has catapulted into the global spotlight in recent months — not for its status as an international financial hub, but for its burgeoning concert tourism scene. The city-state has already hosted global music sensations such as Taylor Swift, Ed Sheeran, Coldplay, Bruno Mars, and INCUBUS in the first half of 2024, and the second half looks just as promising with anticipated performances including those at the Singapore Grand Prix and artists like Andy Lau, Dua Lipa, Ne-Yo, among others. Singapore’s expanding concert lineup continues to draw music enthusiasts in Asia Pacific and bolster economic growth.
The Singapore economy grew by 3% year-on-year in the first quarter of 2024, followed by an estimated 2.9% year-on-year growth in the second quarter. This growth could be attributed, at least in part, to heightened sales within hotels, restaurants, and local businesses due to the influx of tourists flocking to concerts in the city-state. For instance, as the only Southeast Asian stop in Swift’s Eras Tour, Singapore drew fans from neighbouring Southeast Asian countries such as the Philippines, Thailand, and Malaysia. Perhaps by no small coincidence, arrival passenger traffic between 1 March to 7 March 2024 grew by over 20% compared to the same period in 2023, according to Changi Airport. Based on data from travel platform Trip.com, inbound flight and hotel bookings for 1 March to 9 March were 186% and 462% higher compared to bookings for 15 March to 23 March respectively. Meanwhile, venues hosting concerts witnessed a surge in ticket sales, concessions revenue, and merchandise purchases, too.
But while Singapore has adequately been seizing opportunities in concert tourism in recent months, it remains an ongoing conversation as to whether the city-state will continue to be able to handle spikes in tourism demand in the future. Beyond developing top-notch facilities, it would be critical to establish the necessary infrastructure to maximise Singapore’s potential as a premier destination for concert tourism.
Understaffed and overwhelmed: Combatting talent shortage in Singapore’s tourism industry
According to the NTUC LearningHub's Industry Insights Report 2024 on Tourism, 53% of Singapore tourism leaders identify talent shortage as a prominent challenge in a service-oriented industry that continues to grapple with the constant pressure to deliver high-quality tourist experiences. Meanwhile, 57% of tourism leaders believe that existing staff lack adequate skills to cater to changing tourism trends.
Insufficient resources can lead to overcrowded attractions, long wait times, and subpar service quality, significantly impacting tourist experiences in Singapore. Such challenges, when left unaddressed, pose a significant obstacle to Singapore's aspirations to establish itself as a top-tier destination for concert tourism.
See also: Alibaba anoints new chief in revamp of stalling commerce arm
The industry needs to get better at managing resources and preventing customer support teams from becoming too overwhelmed. Embracing innovation provides a pathway for the industry to tackle this labour conundrum. New technology can help streamline customer support operations with smart routing and automated responses, boosting productivity and helping preserve employee capacity in the tourism industry.
New ways of digital and interactive guest care
From the perspective of a customer care agent in tourism, using a variety of disparate customer support tools during periods where there is an overwhelming request for support can cause frustration. Agents often spend considerable time switching between channels such as in-house call centres and external ticket-based support systems. This can lead to inefficiencies, delays in response time, and disjointed customer experiences.
See also: Break up Google? What’s at stake in antitrust action
Integrating conversational AI and a multichannel contact centre into the customer experience across the lifecycle – from browsing to booking – streamlines customer engagement and reduces the time agents spend gathering context. Tourists can seek assistance even without local SIM cards, resolving issues conveniently via SMS, WhatsApp, or email, rather than being limited to phone calls. This can be particularly beneficial for tourists who may not speak the local language or prefer written communication over verbal interactions. Additionally, with a centralised customer engagement system, agents have access to relevant first-party data across any source – and this allows them to then individualise customer interactions more effectively.
Bottlenecks may arise from high volumes of customer enquiries whenever there are major events. Customer self-service capabilities and conversational chatbots can provide round-the-clock support and simultaneously handle large volumes of enquiries, alleviating the strain on human resources and ensuring timely assistance for travellers even during periods of high demand. By automating routine tasks and providing instant responses, chatbots are able to reduce the number of steps in the process – whether travellers are making reservations, purchasing tickets, or seeking event information.
Agents today can even get a boost in productivity by leveraging AI “copilots” within their contact centre system. These copilots help with intelligent routing, provide actionable insights for each customer interaction, and automate post-call summaries. The real-time data fuels the AI algorithms and generates more nuanced data, creating a flywheel that continues to deepen agents’ understanding of their customers. This can significantly free up agents’ time and allow them to concentrate on higher-value tasks. Tackling issues such as repeat calls and high transfer rates with the help of innovation can enhance customer service and operational performance while helping ease the manpower crunch in tourism. Globally, 51% of travel and hospitality brands are already prioritising seamless omnichannel experiences to improve customer engagement in 2024.
For instance, in Hong Kong, software and robotics company Blue Pin has already developed self-service technology that enables guests to check in and out of hotel rooms swiftly by interacting with a robot. Hotels can send targeted messages to their guests depending on their behaviour, preferences, and previous purchases – including upsells and cross-sells of hotel services, such as candlelit dinners for two, romantic movies, and other room services. After their stay, guests continue to receive customised messages from the hotel, including promotions, discounts, and special offers. Adopting similar innovation can help elevate the standard for customer service and position Singaporean hotels and other organisations in the tourism industry at the forefront of hospitality excellence.
Boosting Singapore’s reputation
Singapore must strive to exceed tourist expectations to maintain its status as a premier concert destination. This would require a dedicated commitment to delivering unparalleled customer service across all facets of the visitor experience, from lodging to transportation and beyond. Small yet meaningful gestures such as sending a customised welcome message upon hotel check-in or offering timely reminders and information via SMS can go a long way in making guests feel valued and appreciated throughout their stay in Singapore.
Embracing digital technologies that refine tourist feedback mechanisms and harnessing zero- and first-party data to individualise and enrich interactions will undoubtedly enhance the overall travel experience, ensuring that tourists leave with lasting memories and a desire to visit Singapore again.
Robert Woolfrey is the regional vice president for APJ Sales, Communications at Twilio
