The Singapore Tourism Board (STB) has launched the MeetSG WeChat Mini Program (MeetSG) to target Chinese MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions), travelers. MeetSG will allow a collection of information about Singapore as a MICE destination, business events, and meetings community, as well as the city’s offerings, will be made available to over one billion monthly active users on WeChat, in their native language.

MeetSG will enable MICE event organizers to connect with their Chinese attendees in a “more direct and immersive way”. Besides offering key information including event schedules and venue, news and push notifications, MeetSG also allows Chinese MICE travelers to access up-to-date leisure information and curated offers which includes suggested places to eat and shop, as well as options to purchase tickets to tours and entertainment at partner venues such as Gardens by the Bay, Sports Hub, Sentosa and Faber Peak Singapore.

Meet SG complements the first MICE WeChat Mini Program developed by STB’s Greater China office in 2018, which functions as a mobile planner guide for travel intermediaries and corporates. It is launched in partnership with WeChat and the Singapore Association of Convention and Exhibition Organisers and Suppliers (SACEOS).

In 2018, China was Singapore’s top visitor arrival market. It grew by 6% year-on-year to record more than 3.4 million Chinese arrivals into Singapore. In terms of tourism receipts, Chinese visitors were also top spenders in Singapore in 2018, contributing over SG$3.9 billion.

STB deputy chief executive Melissa Ow said China is an important visitor market and STB is always looking for innovative and impactful ways to improve the visitor experience for Chinese MICE visitors. She said: “We believe this initiative will also give us invaluable insights into the Chinese MICE visitors, which will, in turn, enable us to continually engage with them and enrich their consumer experience.”

Meanwhile, WeChat said the global adoption of WeChat-enabled services by the larger tourism industry will enhance the quality of experience for Chinese outbound business visitors. Juliet Zhu, GM, and Head of WeChat Marketing said the partnership empowers Singapore as the world’s first country destination to have a comprehensive digital solution not only for leisure tourists but also for business and MICE travelers on WeChat. “Working with STB and SACEOS has created a unique way for WeChat to serve the fast-growing business travel market and work more closely with the local partners to provide more versatile services to our users,” she added.