Certified Destination: Singapore

Certified by Vireo Srl

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By Dong Limin, Director, Tourism Human Capital and Sustainability, Singapore Tourism Board

Located in Southeast Asia, Singapore is a vibrant City in Nature where large experiences come with small footprints. Singapore has made strides to push the boundaries in sustainability, leveraging technology and enhancing green skills of the tourism workforce. The island country is multicultural, and this diversity enriches Singapore’s cultural tapestry. Singapore is certified by Vireo Srl, a GSTC-Accredited Certification Body.

Singapore: A Globally Certified Sustainable Urban Destination

Since 2023, Singapore has been certified by Vireo SRL as a sustainable destination based on the Global Sustainable Tourism Council GSTC Destination Criteria. Singapore is the first to apply the certification process on a country level. This milestone, led by the Singapore Tourism Board (STB), with the strong support of over 30 government agencies, industry associations, tourism stakeholders, members of academia and civil groups, cements Singapore’s position as a leading sustainable destination.

Singapore is excited to host the GSTC2024 Global Conference. We look forward to having meaningful conversations between international delegates and our local tourism stakeholders and we hope that collaboration opportunities between stakeholders across the tourism sector will be fostered to address critical sustainability issues.

A Global Metropolis and City in Nature

Singapore stands out as a sustainable urban destination, offering visitors a unique blend of nature,

architectural wonders and innovative green solutions.

The renowned Gardens by the Bay exemplifies Singapore’s approach to sustainable development. It houses over 1.5 million plants, with its Supertrees serving dual purposes: they’re vertical gardens and functional structures that harvest solar energy and ventilate the conservatories.

The integration of nature and technology can also be seen throughout the city. The Oasia Hotel Downtown for instance, features an external facade that serves as a vertical garden to introduce biodiversity into the city. Such tourism offerings bear testament to how Singapore has pursued environmental sustainability practices while balancing urban development needs.

More than just a bustling metropolis, Singapore is also home to green spaces and natural parks, from tropical mangroves to scenic coastlines. Despite being land-scarce, the city is one of the greenest in the world and is home to four nature reserves, more than 350 parks and more than 300 km of Park Connectors. Singapore also has 155 hectares of skyrise greenery and the city’s green cover currently stands at over 40%.

Visitors can also explore Singapore’s natural areas through various tours. Tour operators run tours that showcase the rustic side of Singapore, such as Let’s Go Tours’ itinerary to one of Singapore’s offshore islands Pulau Ubin, with a visit to floating fish farms or Kelongs.

Beyond greenery, Singapore is a rich treasure trove when it comes to culture and heritage. Singapore’s hawker culture was the nation’s first inscription on the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Another example is Singlish, a uniquely local slang that is an integral part of everyday life, blending English with Malay, Tamil and a variety of Chinese dialects.

Visitors who seek authentic and meaningful travel experiences can explore local neighbourhoods and cultural enclaves, each with their own distinct flavour and history. To support local products, one can browse the Made With Passion platform, a national initiative to spotlight Singaporean products and over 100 local businesses. Fashion buffs can head to Design Orchard, an integrated retail and incubation space in the heart of shopping belt Orchard Road to check out up-and-coming local designers, including brands that partake in sustainable practices.

Singapore aims to be an inclusive and accessible place for all. Accessibility upgrading and enhancing the built environment through the concept of Universal Design for buildings and public spaces play an important role in enabling the young, the old, and persons with disabilities to work, live and play. For example, The National Gallery Singapore has developed an access guide, in collaboration with the Disabled People’s Association, to support visitors with different access needs, including those with disabilities, mobility needs and parents with young children.

Looking Ahead: Singapore’s Sustainable Tourism Strategy and Empowering the Tourism Sector

Today, Singapore continues its journey towards achieving greater strides in sustainability. The Singapore Green Plan 2030 is a whole-of-nation movement to advance Singapore’s national agenda on sustainable development. The Green Plan charts Singapore’s ambitions and targets over the next 10 years, to achieve our long-term net zero emissions aspiration by 2050.

In line with the Green Plan, STB has developed a Sustainable Tourism Strategy which sets out actionable strategies for the tourism industry across product development, industry guidance and workforce development, and amplifying Singapore’s standing as a sustainable urban destination.

To support the Sustainable Tourism Strategy, the Tourism Sustainability Programme (TSP) will guide the tourism sector in building workforce capabilities and utilising technology to achieve sustainability goals. Since the launch of the TSP in 2022, over 30 companies have rolled out sustainability solutions across waste, water, energy and carbon emissions management. For example, Sofitel Singapore City Centre has upgraded from plastic bottles to filtered tap water in guest rooms. Gardens by the Bay has also partnered Circular Unite to optimise its waste management with the potential of increasing its existing recycling rates by 20%.

To drive such efforts, the tourism workforce must continue to grow its sustainability-related capabilities. The Sustainable Tourism Jobs & Skills Roadmap provides direction on the areas of upskilling such as identifying the 4 key green skills of training related to the GSTC Criteria, carbon management, green marketing and communications, and green procurement/supply chain management.

STB partners with tourism associations to create roadmaps and industry-specific standards, providing clear direction through setting national sustainability targets.

• The Hotel Sustainability Roadmap was launched in 2022, in collaboration with the Singapore Hotel Association. It targets at least 60% of hotel room stock to achieve internationally-recognised hotel sustainability certification (e.g. by the Global Sustainable Tourism Council) by 2025. Hotels see value in pursuing such certification, with Far East Hospitality, Pan Pacific Hotels Group and Millennium Hotels and Resorts achieving GSTC multi-site certification.
• The Meetings, Incentives, Conventions and Exhibitions (MICE) Sustainability Roadmap was also launched in 2022, in collaboration with the Singapore Association of Convention & Exhibition Organisers & Suppliers (SACEOS). One of its targets is to have all purpose-built MICE venues and 80% of SACEOS members having internationally or nationally recognised certification by 2025. We are on track to achieving both Hotels and MICE targets.
• Come early 2025, STB will release the Attractions Sustainability Roadmap with the Association of Singapore Attractions.

With more business travellers seeking sustainable options, GSTC in collaboration with STB and SACEOS, launched the GSTC MICE Criteria in March 2024 to guide the industry on sustainable practices. To augment Singapore’s status as a leading sustainable MICE destination, SACEOS has also launched the MICE Sustainability Certification.

To become one of the world’s most sustainable urban destinations – one where large experiences come with small footprints – Singapore will continue to push the envelope in sustainability, to build a City in Nature for both locals and visitors to enjoy.

For more information on the sustainability offerings Singapore has to offer, visit our website: www.visitsingapore.com/travel-tips/about-singapore/travel-sustainably/