Sentosa’s 15,000 employees to get training on green and wellness tourism

Courses focusing on areas like sustainability, wellness tourism and improving customer service will be offered to all staff on Sentosa.

The workforce on Resorts World Sentosa (RWS) makes up 70 per cent of workers on the island. (Photo: iStock/HuyNguyenSG)

SINGAPORE: As tourists become more environmentally conscious and seek to reduce their carbon footprint, Sentosa is upskilling its employees to cater to evolving tourism trends.

Mr Samion Ong, an event manager on the resort island, said clients are increasingly requesting for more sustainable approaches.

“I have a lot of questions from my clients: ‘Is your venue sustainable?' Are you using plastic cups? How are you going to reduce all wastage?'”, he told CNA.

To better advise customers, the account manager in charge of Greater China and North Asia took up upskilling courses in design and sustainability, with his employer's guidance.

“They taught us how the entire process in sustainability (works) in planning MICE events - to the point of even (how to) build the exhibition booth and the costs involved,” he said. MICE refers to meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibitions. 

With the knowledge he gained, he is now able to clearer understand potential clients’ needs and help them plan their activities better. 

NEW COURSES FOR SENTOSA EMPLOYEES

Such courses focusing on sustainability, along with others like wellness tourism and improving customer service, will be offered to all Sentosa staff as part of a new drive to boost the island's attractiveness for tourists. 

A new agreement signed between Sentosa Development Corporation and training provider NTUC LearningHub on Thursday (Jul 4) aims to grow staff capabilities. 

About 15,000 employees will have access to these upskilling programmes over the next three years. 

The agreement was supported by Resorts World Sentosa (RWS), whose workforce makes up 70 per cent of workers on the island.

Sentosa’s assistant chief executive of corporate and sustainability Lee Cheh Hsien said that the island aims to be a destination that is always keeping up with customers’ needs. 

“As demographics change, we are always ready to serve them,” he added. 

A Sentosa Development Corporation spokesperson said that visitor arrivals to the island have increased, reaching 15 million in 2023 – a 20 per cent jump from 2022. 

“This figure is approximately 75 per cent of our average annual visitorship numbers pre-COVID, signifying our strong recovery,” she said. 

FUTURE-PROOFING THE WORKFORCE

A second agreement was also inked between the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) and NTUC LearningHub, with the aim of upskilling those in the wider industry in areas like sustainability and technology.

Under the three-year partnership, Sentosa was chosen as a pilot for the STB’s plan to future-proof the workforce. 

Workers on Sentosa make up about 20 per cent of Singapore's entire tourism workforce, putting it in a good position to lead the industry-wide push to equip workers with skills for the future. 

Speaking at the signing, Minister of State for Trade and Industry Alvin Tan said that the agreements to upskill workers both in Sentosa and the rest of the tourism industry will allow Singapore to continue to attract visitors.

“These particular skills of sustainability and accessibility … are something that increasingly tourists are looking for when they choose a destination … (Having these skills) will offer something really special,” he said.

He added that STB will work to develop the necessary support to enable such courses to be eligible for SkillsFuture funding. 

This article was originally published on Channel Newsasia, CNA Online News. Its inclusion on this website is solely for education purposes.