The Untapped Potential of Food Tourism in Singapore
BENEDICT KOK finds out why F&B contributes the least to Singapore’s total tourism receipts, and what more can be done to grow the sector
Back-to-back food tours were once a common occurrence for Mr Arthur Ang, a testament to the growing popularity of food tours in Singapore right before Covid-19 struck.
Mr Ang is a tour guide with over 25 years of experience, and his food tours are curated culinary experiences that help tourists save time and effort when touring food hotspots. Arranging bookings, suggesting food options, and educating tourists about food is all part of the job for a food tour guide, and it is also what sets apart food tours from mindless wandering.
Mr Arthur Ang (left) introducing Singapore’s food options to tourists on one of his food tours
PHOTO BY: Arthur Ang
However, despite being a food paradise with a seemingly booming food tourism industry, tourism receipts for food and beverages (F&B) rank lowest among other sectors, accounting for only 9% ($2.5 billion) of tourism receipts back in 2019. Though all sectors took a hit in 2020 due to the pandemic, it is undeniable that there had already been an observable consistent trend of slow growth within the F&B sector over the last decade, with an accumulative growth of 11.5% from 2011 to 2019, a small number as compared to the 25% to 39% growth experienced in other sectors, according to data from the Singapore Tourism Board (STB).
Mr Ang said that in the last ten years, tourists have been spending more due to the establishment of more high-end food options, but Mr Ang feels that one of the reasons why F&B spending is so low is because food spending is relatively hard to track, especially when tax refunds or ticket sales do not exist within the F&B sector. Additionally, goods and services generally cost more than hawker centre foods or even high-end restaurants, which explains why F&B receipts are lower as compared to other sectors.
The road ahead might not be easy, but it is undeniable that there is room for growth in the F&B sector. In 2020, Singapore’s hawker culture was added to the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage list. However, Mr Ang feels that promoting our hawker culture is something that can further be explored. He says, “We still haven't fully publicised it … there is so much room for improvement”.
Lau Pa Sat is one of the many hawker centres popular among tourists, and is commonly visited by food tour groups.
PHOTO BY: Benedict Kok
Ms Paris Franke is a tourist visiting Singapore for vacation. She said that most of her planned food destinations were recommended through Instagram pages and STB’s website. Ms Franke says, “I love that there are Michelin-starred hawker centres and stuff like that to try. It’s exciting.”
Mr Ang says that renowned restaurants already have their own publicity, but smaller hawker stalls are simply overlooked by tourists. “Usually the tourists will only notice them because there's a long queue … (or) if they look it up on Facebook or Instagram,” he says.
With a collective effort, more can be done to publicise Singapore’s rich hawker culture and hidden gems alongside the likes of small content creators who can help to introduce the excitement of this food paradise to tourists from all over the world.