Mastercard and Singapore Tourism Board (STB) Co-Develop Tools to Reimagine Tourism in the Digital-First Age

September 10, 2020 | Singapore | By Barkha Patel

STB and Mastercard have signed a partnership to jointly explore solutions and ideas to transform the tourism visitor experience


Mastercard and the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) today announced a partnership, with STB being the first National Tourism Organisation to join Mastercard’s City Possible programme.

As part of the programme, the two partners will collaborate on addressing challenges faced by Singapore’s tourism industry. Through the partnership, a range of solutions and initiatives will be explored to help the sector transform their businesses, pivot to new audiences, and prepare for the gradual return of international visitors.

With increased demand for contactless options in a COVID-19 world, the partnership will commence with co-creating digital initiatives for seamless international travel and e-commerce, while enhancing the experience for consumers.

This partnership is under Mastercard’s City Possible program, which has been designed with the vision to #MakeTechWorkForPeople by aligning key stakeholders to address challenging issues faced by city planners. City Possible connects its members to holistic urban solutions and provides unrivalled access to the best knowledge and expertise from a global community of urban leaders, businesses, NGOs and academics.

This partnership will see Mastercard and STB collaborating on these projects with the following objectives:

Joint Technology Development – The partners will work together to research and develop ways to enhance STB’s Visit Singapore Pass (VSP)[1] to provide more contactless ticketing and payments for tourism offerings in Singapore. This will provide a more seamless journey for all consumers in Singapore, tourists and locals alike.

Mastercard’s City Possible programme would provide strong support for the joint technology development, by dedicating talent and expertise from Mastercard’s Singapore-based Labs team to work on the project. In addition, the partners would also be able to leverage City Possible’s global network of knowledge and expertise on urban solutions to further innovate in the project.

Generate Insights and Identify Trends – The partners will also share data insights[2] and collaborate in using the insights for business planning in the tourism industry. For example, information on spending patterns and trends could help the tourism industry better plan the launch timings of promotions and campaigns.

Joint Marketing- The partners will identify opportunities to work together on joint marketing and advertising campaigns that will drive visitorship to Singapore’s tourism offerings, as Singapore prepares for the gradual return of international visitors.

“We are honoured to partner Mastercard as this collaboration will allow for greater sharing of ideas, resources, and expertise. This partnership places Singapore and STB on the path to becoming a global lab for solutions and pilots, creating travel experiences that are safe, yet personalised to the needs of our visitors,” said Keith Tan, Chief Executive, Singapore Tourism Board.

“The partnership is also in line with our efforts to transform and build new capabilities for our tourism industry. As we chart a new path forward for the tourism sector, it is crucial to develop and implement solutions that can meet evolving consumer needs,” Tan said.

“The way we live, work, travel and consume has undergone rapid changes due to the pandemic. Mastercard Impact StudiesTM show that more people are adopting digital technologies, especially for payments and ecommerce, to stay safe and continue everyday living with peace of mind. There is an urgent need for public and private sector players to work together to identify the best strategies for all industries to digitize, be flexible, and agile in efforts to keep up with new consumer demands. Singapore Tourism Board has always been on the cutting edge of technological innovation, helping Singapore to maintain its leading position among the top five most popular cities in the world for international travellers.[3] Mastercard looks forward to working closely with STB, to reimagine Singapore’s travel sector,” said Ari Sarker, Co-President, Asia Pacific, Mastercard.

Mastercard’s globally trusted network stands at the heart of the tourism industry and today’s announcement builds on established partnerships with national, regional and city governments to provide insights into trends in the tourism industry with the goal of building more economically sustainable strategies. In 2019, the Tourism sector contributed 4% of Singapore’s annual GDP with over 19 million visitors. With this industry now facing 60%+ drop in revenue and employment[4], it is more critical than ever to co-create innovative technology to rejuvenate the industry and ensure an inclusive recovery.



[1] The Visit Singapore Pass (VSP) is a single digital pass that provides visitors with seamless access to curated experiences across Singapore, using a universal ticketing standard.
[2] Any data sharing will be in compliance with all applicable data privacy laws and regulations.
[3] Mastercard Global Destination Cities Index, 2019
[4] https://www.oecd.org/coronavirus/policy-responses/tourism-policy-responses-to-the-coronavirus-covid-19-6466aa20/

Barkha Patel, Vice President, Communications, International Markets (IMK), Mastercard

Media Contacts

Paige Lee, STB Communications

+65 6831 3684 | Paige_lee@stb.gov.sg

Media Contacts

Mylene Ong, Mastercard

+65 6390 6553 | mylene.ong@mastercard.com

Media Contacts

Khushil Vaswani, Agency (Weber Shandwick)

+65 6825 8023 | kvaswani@webershandwick.com

About Singapore Tourism Board

The Singapore Tourism Board (STB) is the lead development agency for tourism, one of Singapore’s key economic sectors. Together with industry partners and the community, we shape a dynamic Singapore tourism landscape. We bring the Passion Made Possible brand to life by differentiating Singapore as a vibrant destination that inspires people to share and deepen their passions.

About Mastercard

Mastercard powers economies and empowers people in 200+ countries and territories worldwide. Together with our customers, we’re building a sustainable economy where everyone can prosper. We support a wide range of digital payments choices, making transactions secure, simple, smart and accessible. Our technology and innovation, partnerships and networks combine to deliver a unique set of products and services that help people, businesses and governments realize their greatest potential.

www.mastercard.com