Take note: bookings must be made before December 31, 2021
This story was first published on April 30, 2021, and updated on November 24, 2021.
Haven’t redeemed your SingapoRediscovers vouchers? Fret not because the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) has announced that the SingapoRediscovers vouchers (SRV) scheme will be extended to the end of 2021.
STB had previously extended the deadline by six months from June to December this year.
In a press statement on November 22, STB said the scheme will now be extended to March 31, 2022.
“We strongly encourage Singaporeans to plan ahead and book their experiences early, especially for the upcoming festive season and school holidays in December and March,” said STB.
In April 2021, it was reported that about three-quarters of adult Singaporeans (or about 2.2 million people) have yet to use their SingapoRediscovers vouchers. An estimated 2.96 million vouchers were distributed to the population.
It is likely that Covid-19 restrictions had affected the rate of redemption of the vouchers as group sizes and dining-in were limited.
The SingapoRediscovers vouchers are digital credits that can be used to offset spending on domestic tourism, including hotel stays and attractions. Under the initiative, announced in September 2020, every Singaporean aged 18 and above will be receiving SG$100 in digital vouchers, given in denominations of SG$10.
Don't miss: Haven’t Used Your Singaporediscovers Vouchers? 5 Unique Ways to Spend Them
STB will also be introducing “enhancements” that will make it easier for Singaporeans to redeem and use the vouchers, which were originally supposed to be used by the end of June.
Said STB chief executive Keith Tan: “Since the launch of the SingapoRediscovers campaign and the SRV scheme last year, we have been heartened by the tourism sector’s efforts to create new products and experiences for locals.”
“Many Singaporeans have also given us useful suggestions to improve the SRV scheme. I thank them for their feedback, which we have studied carefully together with the five authorised booking partners. We have made some improvements in the last few months, and will continue to do so, so that more Singaporeans can rediscover Singapore using their vouchers.”
As of November 1, 2021, close to 1.3 million Singaporeans have used their SRV at least once, making over 1.6 million transactions. Collectively, about SG$256 million in vouchers and additional expenditure have been spent under the scheme, STB added.
To date, the SRV scheme has contributed over SG$200 million to Singapore’s tourism-related businesses, STB said in its press release earlier this year.
It added that both large and smaller merchants have seen an uplift in their revenues since the launch of the SRV scheme in December 2020. STB said it "has observed strong interest in attraction bookings", which make up more than half of all SRV transactions. But the most popular redemption seems to have gone towards hotel bookings, which have seen the highest transaction revenue.
Additionally, tour bookings have also more than tripled between April 2021 and December 2020.
Read more: SingapoRediscovers 2020: The Best Local Tours to Join in Singapore)
Redemptions using NRIC
To redeem their SRV online, Singaporeans must log in to their Singpass account and book their preferred products through any of the five authorised booking partners. For those who need more help, these partners provide booking assistance at physical counters located within or near Community Centres/Clubs (CCs).
From the third quarter of 2021, citizens who are unable to access their Singpass account may visit over 30 CCs to redeem their Vouchers using their NRICs. Authorised SRV ambassadors will scan their NRIC using a secure Government mobile application, while staff from authorised booking partners will assist with booking SRV-eligible products. For a shorter waiting time, citizens are advised to decide on the product they want and their preferred dates before visiting these counters.
Those who need assistance can bring their original identification documents to book their experiences at the physical SRV booking counters across Singapore before December 31, 2021. From January 1, 2022, the authorised booking partners will no longer accept tourism bookings made using SRVs and all physical SRV counters will be closed.