GTA today announces a new strategic partnership that will increase awareness of the appeals of Singapore, highlight value for money travel and drive visits to the destination from key markets in the Asia Pacific and Middle East regions.

The partnership will focus on markets within seven hours flying distance from Singapore with particular emphasis on those where awareness of the destination is lower. Travel agents in cities in Australia, Hong Kong, South Korea, Taiwan and the UAE as well as secondary cities in China, India and Indonesia will be targeted through GTA’s extraordinary reach. Each of the 22 hotels in the partnership is drawing attention to their hidden gems such as:
*  the unique skyline view through the octagon bathroom windows at The Ritz-Carlton, Millenia Singapore
*  the exclusive Club Lounge with private infinity pool on the 22nd floor of Oasia Hotel Singapore
*  underwater views of 50,000 marine animals from the duplex Ocean Suites at Resorts World Sentosa
*  the infinity roof top pool experience at Parc Sovereign Hotel Tyrwhitt
*  the 100th anniversary of the Singapore Sling being celebrated at Raffles Singapore

GTA will promote all of these and more at dedicated Singapore Seminars for agents. Already one of the largest generators of travel into Singapore, GTA distributes accommodation options, ‘in destination’ services and a rich range of experiences to a network of tens of thousands of travel agents worldwide. Last year, it helped bring nearly a million tourists to Singapore.

Launching the Strategic Partnership Program (SPP) at Equinox, 70 floors up inside Swissôtel The Stamford in Singapore, GTA’s Regional Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Asia Pacific, the Middle East and Africa, Daryl Lee says: “With increasing competition from neighbouring destinations and a misconception by some that Singapore is expensive and sterile, visitors to Singapore have fallen 3.1 percent to 15.1 million in 2014, the first drop since 2009. GTA’s success in bringing a million tourists to Singapore, gives us the ability to address these challenges.

“Thanks to the longstanding partnerships GTA has with the hospitality and travel trade, for the first time we have brought together the destination’s hotels along with sightseeing attractions such as FunVee® Hopper and Captain Explorer DUKW®  Tour that are operated by City Tours, Universal Studios Singapore® and S.E.A. Aquarium™ to promote Singapore through this program. Collectively, our aim is to drive stronger awareness of destination Singapore among travel sellers, especially in secondary cities in China, India and Indonesia, and develop mystery markets across the GTA distribution network for our hotel partners.

”Part of Fairmont Raffles Hotels International and one of the 22 three- to five-star hotels also included in the program, Swissotel the Stamford is joined by three more international and home grown hotel brands in the partnership: Far East Hospitality – Singapore’s largest growing operator of hotels and residences – Fragrance Hotel, Parc Sovereign Hotel and Resorts World Sentosa as well as The Ritz-Carlton, Millenia Singapore.

“With 40 years in business powering global travel, GTA can help SPP partners reach a broader range of customers, as well as understand and explore new markets without having to risk significant investment by trying to do it themselves. GTA demystifies these ‘mystery markets’ through the experience and expertise of its people, its presence worldwide and the industry-leading performance of its technology,” says Andrew Hughes, GTA’s Vice President of Hotel Sourcing for Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa.