Singapore Trade and Tourism Mission
Canberra Airport was proud to be part of a recent Singapore Trade and Tourism Mission designed to develop new international partnerships in the tourism, hospitality, investment, and export sectors.
Canberra Airport made the most of meetings with dozens of Singaporean travel and tour professionals who have a growing awareness of all the Canberra region has to offer, now that Singapore Airlines offers daily flights in and out of Canberra Airport.
This was the third tourism mission the airport has participated in, and the positive results were very clear. “Our conversations with travel professionals in Singapore have really evolved,” says Melissa Evans, Head of Marketing and Communications at Canberra Airport. “They are asking many more nuanced questions about Canberra, activities and destinations across the region, including the Snowy Mountains and the South Coast. That’s a great shift away from the tactical questions they have asked in the past. It’s clear the awareness of Canberra as a great destination is strong, and they are selling Canberra in the Singapore market.”
While the tourism mission had positive results, so did the trade mission hosted by the Canberra Business Chamber. Canberra Airport’s Managing Director, Stephen Byron, participated along with Austrade representatives and the ACT’s Chief Minister. He also met with several logistics and supply chain operators that are looking to expand into our region and take advantage of the ready access Canberra has to the food bowl that surrounds us to the East and West, as well as Canberra’s easy access to more congested ports such as Sydney and Melbourne. “We had positive meetings with companies looking to link businesses in Singapore and Canberra through our daily flights,” says Mr Byron. “We have a lot of value to offer the entire Asian market and trade through Singapore is the first step to accessing those economically powerful points across Asia. This was a very positive mission for future economic development across the region.”
While many strong business-based relationships were both created and strengthened, it’s hard to overlook one of the biggest benefits of a strong relationship with Singaporeans—their beautiful city. “The more time you spend there, the more you see Singapore as a great destination instead of a stopover. It’s the perfect place for a long weekend or a school holiday. With daily flights out of Canberra, it’s an easy and affordable, high-quality trip with outstanding activities for the whole family,” says Mr Byron.