If you’ve been browsing articles like “The Top 9 Hotels In S’pore According To Travellers & Their Costs Coz We Now Got $100 For Staycations“, you’re probably psyched to read this article.
But if you’re a scalper (read: moneymaker) who’s willing to sell anything and everything online (even your neighbour’s beloved black cat), you’re probably not as keen.
But happy or not, here’s what you have to know about the SingapoRediscover Tourism Vouchers, or what the cats in the office are calling it, de-stress subsidy.
STB: You Can’t Sell Your SingapoRediscover Tourism Vouchers & There Would Be Rules to Avoid Abuse
The Brand Director of Singapore Tourism Board (STB), Lim Shoo Ling, has spoken.
THe SingapoRediscover Tourism Vouchers, first announced by DPM Heng Swee Keat in Aug 2020, will only be for personal use.
In short, you can’t sell it, nor can you transfer it to your mom because she hasn’t stayed in a Singapore hotel before.
As for how they’ll enforce this requirement, it’s still a work in progress.
Now, for more bad news (for some individuals, at least), you can’t use the SingapoRediscover Tourism Vouchers to subsidise your next iPad or treat your family to a good meal.
The vouchers are meant for the tourism industry.
Which means shopping and eating (a.k.a Singapore’s national interest) are out too.
Multiplier Effect
This doesn’t mean the F&B and retail sectors are left to die. According to Lim, STB is hoping for a “multiplier effect” for the vouchers.
They have a cheem explanation for it but here’s a Goody Feed one:
You decide to stay at Ritz Carlton Hotel with the tourism vouchers.
Unless you’re in your honeymoon period, you probably won’t spend 24 hours within the hotel room.
Instead, you’ll go out and have a good meal at a nearby restaurant since you’re there anyway and it’s a “special day”.
Who knows, you might go out and window shop, and maybe buy a thing or two for yourself.
So for that $100, you spend another $50 at a restaurant nearby, and maybe $30 buying things during your window-shopping spree.
Original amount spent by the government: $100.
Real amount entering the economy: $180.
Tada, multiplier effect.
868 Places That The Vouchers Can Be Used At Currently
The SingapoRediscover Tourism Vouchers will be distributed via SingPass in denominations of $10.
These vouchers can be used at the various licensed hotels, attractions and leisure tours that are allowed to resume operations by STB.
As of 12 Oct 2020, about 868 businesses were allowed to resume operations.
These include:
- 219 Hotels
- 40 Attractions
- 609 Tour Itineraries
In short, you don’t have to be afraid of not having any place to spend your vouchers at. You should be more worried about the headache of choosing where to go.
Here’s one way to clear up your headache: Download the Goody Feed app because we’re just as excited as you are about the free $100 (it’s free money, sue us).
And when we’re excited, we find out the best places for staycations and tours in Singapore for you…because we want to know them ourselves. #WinWinSituation
The government also said they won’t limit the usage of the vouchers to any specific sector even though most people are probably gunning for staycations.
As for why? Read the part about the multiplier effect above again.
More details on the usage of the vouchers, as well as the system to remove abuse and fraud, will be revealed later.
Watch this for a complete summary of what REALLY happened to Qoo10, and why it's like a K-drama:
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