Formation of the Tourism Promotion Board

The Singapore Tourist Promotion Board (STPB) was formed on 1 January 1964 to enhance Singapore’s attractiveness to visitors (The Straits Times, 21 May 1964, p. 4). Its main functions were to coordinate the activities of all tourist enterprises, regulate standards within the industry, and carry out extensive publicity campaigns. On 20 December 1963, the Singapore Legislative Assembly passed the Tourist Promotion Board Ordinance 1963 (Debates: Official Report, 20 December 1963, Vol. 22, cols. 1086-1087), which created the Tourist Promotion Board. The ordinance came into effect on 1 January 1964 (The Straits Times, 21 Dec 1963, p. 6).

 

Before STPB

Before the creation of STPB, there was an association that was formed in February 1960 to promote the tourism industry in Singapore (The Straits Times, 20 Feb 1960, p. 4). This association was known as the Singapore Tourist Association (STA). However, STA was limited in terms of resources. In addition, tourism was forecasted to be such a major industry in Singapore that it would be beyond the capacity of an association like the STA to enhance the industry (The Straits Times, 23 Jan 1963, p. 6). This is in addition to the announcement made by Minister for Culture S. Rajaratnam on 23 January 1963.

 

On that day, Rajaratnam announced that tourism would be developed as a major industry in Singapore and would be under the purview of the Ministry of Finance. Rajaratnam wanted tourism to be viewed more as a potential lucrative industry rather than an exercise in publicity promotion. As a result, he felt that it was only timely and logical for the Ministry of Finance to take tourism under its wing as the ministry was financially more equipped to develop it (The Straits Times, 23 Jan 1963, p. 6). As a result of this focus on tourism as an industry in Singapore, the STA welcomed the passing of the Tourist Promotion Board Ordinance in the Legislative Assembly.

 

While Rajaratnam proposed the formation of STPB, he also outlined the government’s direct role in the promotion of tourism (The Straits Times, 23 Jan 1963, p. 6). Besides the provision of a tourist information centre and the arrangement of visits for tourist groups to places of interest, the government would also assist in the removal of bureaucratic obstacles for tourists as well as develop attractions for the industry (The Straits Times, 23 Jan 1963, p. 6).

 

Dr Goh's support

Minister for Finance Dr Goh Keng Swee, who had presented the Tourism Promotion Bill at the Legislative Assembly on 20 December 1963, (Debates: Official Report, 20 November 1963, Vol. 22, col. 64) supported this commitment and moved the second reading of the Tourism Promotion Board Bill (The Straits Times, 21 Dec 1963, p. 6). In a Straits Times article dated 21 December 1963, it was reported that Dr Goh proposed the establishment of a Tourist Promotion Board to coordinate the activities of all tourist enterprises, regulate standards and carry out extensive publicity campaign. By then, there was already recognition by the Singapore government that tourism industry was the key to job creation and opportunities for Singapore’s economy (The Straits Times, 21 Dec 1963, p. 6).

 

On 20 May 1964, Dr Goh officially opened the board’s Promotion Office and Information at John Little’s building. The board members included K. M. Byrne as chairman of the board; Lim Joo Hock as director; and Francis Lim Phai Som as the deputy chairman. Other members of the board included Lien Ying Chow and B. H. Melwani, who were nominated by the Economic Development Board and the Singapore Tourist Association (STA) respectively. Other industry representatives on the first board were Tan Chee Chye, vice-president of Singapore Travel Agents Association; L. U. Dunn, vice-president of the Singapore Restaurants and Hotels Association; R. T. Peirson, manager of the Mansfield Travel Department; and, S. J. Lloyd, commercial manager of Malaysia Airways Ltd (The Straits Times, 20 May 1964, p. 12).

 

In the State of Singapore Government Gazette Supplement of 1959, it was stated that the Department of Tourism was under the purview of the Minister for Finance while the Department of Tourism was not under the purview of the Minister for Culture. The Singapore Subsidiary Legislation Supplement of 1963 reaffirmed that the Department of Tourism was listed on the schedule of the Minister for Finance and subsequently removed tourism from the schedule of the Minister for Culture (Government Gazette. Subsidiary Legislation Supplement, 1 February 1963, Sp.S 26/1963 & Sp.S 27/1963, pp. 65-66). Years later, the tourism portfolio came under the Minister for Trade and Industry, Goh Chok Tong, as stated in the Government Gazette Subsidiary Legislation Supplement dated 30 March 1979. The tourism portfolio has remained under the Ministry of Trade and Industry ever since.

 

STPB’s accomplishments

With the establishment of STPB in 1964, Singapore saw a marked increase in its annual tourist arrivals. Within three years of STPB operations, the rate of tourist growth more than doubled in 1967. It increased from 109,730 tourists in 1963 to 204,852 in 1967. Previously, before the formation of STPB, the highest rate of tourist growth reported between 1960 till 1963 was only 16% (Singapore Tourist Promotion Board [STPB], 1969, p. 16). The rise in tourist numbers led to huge increases in visitor expenditures. From $49.1 million in 1964, visitor expenditures amounted to $129.8 million in 1967 – an increase of $80.7 million (STPB, 1969, p. 15).

 

In fact, STPB took less than a decade to successfully attain its “million-tourists-a-year mark” (STPB, 1974, p. 1; STPB, 1975, p. 14). In December 1973, more than a million tourists visited Singapore within a year, making Singapore the second country in Asia with such a record. Many other achievements were made by STPB by 1974. This included winning the bid to host the 16th Annual Convention of the Australian Federation of Travel Agents (AFTA), building the Singapore Handicraft Centre and opening of the Surrender Chamber at City Hall in 1973 (STPB, 1974, p. 20).

 

On 7 October 1997, an Act to amend the Tourist Promotion Board Act was passed in which the Singapore Tourist Promotion Board became the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) (Government Gazette. Acts Supplement, 14 November 1997, Act 9 of 1997, p. 139). The STB remains the agency responsible for the local tourism industry.

Sources

The information in this article is valid as at 2010 and correct as far as we are able to ascertain from our sources. It is not intended to be an exhaustive or complete history of the subject. Please contact the Library for further reading materials on the topic.

Subject
Organisations
Politics and Government
Economy