“Malaysians and Singaporeans are very similar to each other—from our food to our culture,” says Terrence Voon, Singapore Tourism Board’s Executive Director for Southeast Asia. While these shared cultural experiences can be enriching, Voon also finds these similarities a challenge in exciting Malaysians to visit Singapore. In the first half of the year, Singapore has hosted some notable events—such as the six-day Taylor Swift Eras Tour concert series, and acclaimed Broadway musical, Hamilton—that have drawn the interest of Malaysians.
Moving forward into the year and beyond, Singapore is aiming to expand its portfolio with exclusive first-to-Asia experiences and offerings that transcend typical expectations, drawing inspiration from Changi Airport and Gardens by the Bay as exemplary attractions. These include the upcoming Mandai Rainforest Resort by Banyan Tree, which will be the first-ever Super Low Energy resort in the country. The resort will be surrounded by native tree species and feature seed pod-shaped treehouses set amongst the trees. Additionally, Singapore will also introduce the world’s first regional Porsche Experience Centre with a 2km handling track, themed exhibitions, immersive racing simulators, and displays from the archives of the Porsche Museum.
In an interview with Robb Report Malaysia, Voon shares further insights into some of the compelling opportunities tailored for high-net-worth individuals (HNWI).
What are the exciting events for the HNWI in Singapore this year?
There’s the Singapore watch fair happening in October and the Affordable Art Fair taking place in November. A key highlight for art fans, though not this year, will be the Singapore Art Week in the first quarter of 2025, showcasing the best of regional art across many different venues in Singapore. Another annual highlight for us is Formula 1, happening this September. Look forward to global icons performing, including OneRepublic, HONNE, Kylie Minogue, BABYMONSTER, Lenny Kravitz, and many more to be announced soon. As for the end of the year, it’s always a good time to visit Singapore with the many light-ups and special programming at our key attractions such as Gardens by the Bay, for instance. Of course, Orchard Road will also be transformed into a Christmas wonderland.
What makes Singapore unique for the HNWI traveler?
For years we’ve been a vibrant lifestyle city. What makes us special is our attention to the needs of premium customers. We understand that they seek personalisation, good services, and experiences that money can’t buy. Singapore has many offerings that cater to that. You can charter a yacht and have a private meal prepared by a famous chef, or go on supercar rides around town. There are many things that you can do in Singapore. It’s not just about spending—it’s about experiencing. Singapore, having matured as a city that has been vibrant for many decades, knows how to deliver fun for premium customers.
What is your biggest challenge?
For the region that I look after, in Southeast Asia, where many travellers are familiar with Singapore and have visited before, the question I always get asked is, “What’s new?” We’re doing a lot more in terms of creating new tourism infrastructure, new attractions, and refreshing old ones. Marina Bay Sands, for example, is building a third tower, and Resorts World Sentosa is building new attractions, including Super Nintendo World that’s debuting in Universal Studios in a couple of years. We’re constantly renewing the hardware.
But what’s more important, especially for Malaysian travellers is the software: the events, light entertainment, musicals and seasonal programming. We need to continuously bring these in and raise the awareness of Singapore as the cultural capital of the region. That’s going to keep people coming back for more. It’s not just events; it’s also new food and beverage offerings as well as new retail offerings. Singapore is a country that constantly regenerates. You can visit twice a year and have completely different experiences. That’s what we’re gunning for.
What is your recommendation of a perfect day out for HNWIs visiting?
My first recommendation would be to go easy on hotel breakfast, so that you can have a nice brunch, because there are many good brunch spots in Singapore. If you’re living in the Orchard Road area, Wild Honey is always a good place to be, with a nice veranda that overlooks parts of Orchard Road. Or you can visit some of the brunch spots in Tiong Bahru, where many nice cafes are located.
If you’re a guy, you must head to this place called The Mezz for a haircut—it’s an upmarket men’s grooming place. For lunch, I would recommend Seroja, a nice restaurant that serves Asian food. After lunch, head to Marina Bay Sands for a personal shopping experience. What makes the experience unique is that each boutique has its own curator, who will style a look for you and they’ll transport you around the place with buggies.
For dinner, I’ve splurged on Odette before and it’s worth the experience if you can get a table. Another option is a private yacht dinner with Sailuxo. It’s a late-afternoon-to-sunset cruise that brings you close to Marina Bay, with an onboard chef that will cook a meal just for you. After dinner, go for drinks at one of Asia’s 50 Best Bars in Singapore. Atlas is a really nice place and Jigger & Pony is really good as well.
