SingapoRediscovers Vouchers scheme to be extended to Dec 31

SINGAPOREANS will have until Dec 31 this year to make use of their SingapoRediscovers Vouchers (SRV), with the scheme extended by six months from its original end date, the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) announced on Friday.

The board will be working with the five authorised booking partners - Changi Recommends, GlobalTix, Klook, Traveloka and Trip.com - to extend the validity of SRV-eligible products. Products that are valid from Jul 1 can be purchased from June 1.

Users can also look forward to more monthly deals from the five booking partners, a greater variety of SRV-eligible tours to various attractions, as well as a smoother process when booking time slots for activities.

Speaking at the launch of artist Dale Chihuly's glass installations at the Gardens by the Bay - the artist's first major garden exhibition in Asia - Minister of State for Trade and Industry Alvin Tan said the extension would give Singaporeans more time to see "the sights, sounds and smells of all of the tourism attractions in Singapore".

The extension was also lauded as an "opportune" one as it enables Singaporeans to space out their visits to the different attractions amid the pandemic and reduce unnecessary crowding, he added.

The extension was music to the ears for Klook, one of the SRV-approved platforms.

Sarah Wan, its general manager, said: "Klook is delighted to hear of the announcement to extend the SingapoRediscovers Vouchers (SRV) and will continue to connect locals to the best experiences that Singapore has to offer."

Under the SRV scheme which began last year, all Singaporeans aged 18 and above would have received S$100 worth of the vouchers, which can be used on attractions, tours and hotel bookings.

To redeem their SRV online, Singaporeans must log in to their Singpass account to make bookings. Those who are unable to access their Singpass account may also visit any of the 30 selected community centres from the third quarter of this year to redeem their vouchers using their NRIC.

Ms Wan believes the offline redemption will be more straightforward and seamless for seniors and the digitally-excluded who want to redeem their SRVs.

Noticing a demand from seniors in Singapore, Klook has also introduced senior-friendly filters on their webpage to help seniors find activities that are "more suited to them".

As at April 30, more than one million adult Singapore citizens have used their SRV at least once, out of some three million eligible, making a total of 1.3 million transactions, STB said.

An announcement earlier in April indicated low take-up rates for the S$320 million scheme, with about 2.2 million Singaporeans, or more than two-thirds of those eligible, yet to redeem their vouchers, possibly due to the additional associated costs, bad experiences and a less mobile ageing population.

Asked if there would be a second round of extension at the end of the year, Mr Tan said that "nothing is off the table" and that the government would remain open to suggestions from the public that would help support businesses in the tourism, hotel and aviation sectors.

READ MORE: Restrictive terms, poor outcomes hobble voucher scheme for tourism sector