Tour groups are no longer allowed to loiter on Marina Bay Sands (MBS)' property, including in the hotel lobby, Sands Expo and Convention Centre, and The Shoppes at MBS.
This was part of the new guidelines for tour group operators visiting MBS issued by the integrated resort on Mar. 15, 2024.
According to MBS, these measures, which had come into effect on Mar. 16, would help "ensure an optimal guest experience for visitors".
Other guidelines
Besides disallowing tour groups from loitering, MBS has also barred the use of handheld signage, flags, and portable microphones for these groups on its properties from Saturday onwards.
Concurrently, tour guides are also requested to brief their groups prior to entering MBS, such as on the coach bus or at the public area outside MBS properties, "to minimise disruptions to operations and the experience of other guests".
For groups who want to visit the SkyPark Observation Deck, which is located on the 56th floor of MBS' hotel tower 3, they are now required to enter through the exterior of the tower instead of going through the hotel lobby.
MBS did not respond to Mothership’s questions about what prompted the new guidelines, how they would be enforced, and whether MBS was concerned about their impact on footfall to its properties.
Impact on tour group operator '"limited"
Speaking to Shin Min Daily News, a tour group operator in Singapore said MBS' new guidelines have a "limited impact" on the company as its tour guides typically do not accompany members in their tour groups who want to shop or dine at MBS.
Instead, its tour guides would only pick up members in their tour groups in two or three hours.
"While tour guides will accompany members of their tour groups who want to visit the casino or patronise restaurants at MBS, they rarely would hold up a flag," added the operator.
Tourism in Singapore post-Covid-19
MBS is not the only entity to place restrictions on tourists, who are coming to Singapore in greater numbers after the pandemic.
Last month, Nanyang Technological University (NTU) enforced a new tour registration policy, requiring all travel agencies planning tours of the NTU campus to seek prior approval, and to pay an entry fee.
An NTU spokesperson said this was "to better manage the influx of tourists" on campus.
The number of international tourists visiting Singapore may reach between 15 and 16 million in 2024, said Minister of State for Trade and Industry Alvin Tan during the Committee of Supply debates earlier this month.
This estimate takes into account the potential impact of a mutual 30-day visa-free arrangement between Singapore and China, which came into effect on Feb. 9, 2024.
To facilitate further recovery in the tourism sector and ensure Singapore remains an attractive destination, the government will be further injecting over S$300 million into the Tourism Development Fund (TDF), Tan said.
Top image via Google Maps