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New York UN

INTERVENTION BY MR SAW YONG KAI, FIRST SECRETARY (SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT) OF THE PERMANENT MISSION OF SINGAPORE TO THE UNITED NATIONS, AT THE HIGH-LEVEL THEMATIC DEBATE OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY “PUTTING SUSTAINABLE AND RESILIENT TOURISM AT THE HEART OF AN INCLUSIVE RECOVERY”, 4 MAY 2022

4 May 2022

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Mdm Chair,


I thank the President of the General Assembly, His Excellency Abdulla Shahid, for convening today’s meeting.

2 The tourism sector has faced immense disruption due to COVID-19. While this sector is recovering, the road ahead remains uncertain.

3 Amidst these challenges, we should ask what we can do to build a more sustainable and resilient tourism sector.

4 Let me make three points.

5 First, we must reopen safely and progressively. With clearer knowledge of COVID-19 and its transmission mechanism and a wider variety of testing options, we must take practical steps to reopen our borders.

6 This includes working with other countries and regions to establish safe travel protocols and mutual recognition of health certificates, including testing and vaccination records.

7 The health and safety of travellers should remain our collective priority as global travel resumes.

8 Second, sustainability must guide the tourism sector.

9 In this regard, Singapore aims to be a top sustainable urban destination. Today, more than 40 percent of Singapore is covered in greenery. Under the Singapore Green Plan 2030 and in our endeavour to realise our “city in nature” vision, we will plant 1 million more trees, add another 200 hectares of nature parks, implement 200 hectares of skyrise greenery and 300 kilometres of Nature Ways by 2030.

10 As part of our Hotel Sustainability Roadmap launched in March 2022, we have set a target for 60% of hotel rooms in Singapore to attain internationally-recognised hotel sustainability certification by 2025.

11 Last month, we launched the Tourism Sustainability Programme, which aims to support the sustainability journey of tourism businesses, in the areas of capability development and growth, innovation, and education and awareness.

12 Third, we must leverage digitalisation and new technologies to reinvent the experiences that we offer to travellers.

13 To allow our industry partners to build on their technological capabilities, Singapore has launched the Tourism Technology Transformation Cube, or Tcube. Tcube brings together digital initiatives, resources and thought-leadership content onto a single platform, for tourism businesses to accelerate their digital transformation journeys.

Mdm Chair,

14 COVID-19 has hit the tourism sector hard.  As we resume cross-border movements, we must create new opportunities to encourage safe and sustainable people-to-people exchanges, and allow tourism to once again serve as an engine of growth.

Thank you.

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