Singapore Tourism Board has launched a new campaign, Unreal. Made In Singapore, in the UK to show visitors how ordinary experiences can be made extraordinary in Singapore. The campaign follows new research commissioned by STB revealing 93% of Brits cannot tell the difference between real and AI-generated imagery of the destination.

Additional findings of the research carried out by Markettiers between 14 and 16 February 2024 among 2,000 UK adults revealed that 41% of Brits struggle to tell the difference between real and AI. Two-thirds (62%) said they have never used AI to help plan their holidays, despite a quarter (22%) believing AI will bring wider travel benefits such as personalised holiday planning and booking.

The new STB campaign will highlight the Unreal experiences travellers can do while in Singapore, including the Jewel Changi Airport with the world’s tallest indoor waterfall, the Gardens By The Bay and Sensoryscape Sentosa which opened this month and takes visitors through a multi-sensory unique experience.

As part of the global Made in Singapore campaign, UK audiences can see the attractions of Singapore, through a 3D out-of-home billboard launched at Piccadilly Circus until the 31 March.

Within the same study, nearly a quarter of those surveyed perceive Singapore as an ‘unreal’ long-haul destination. UK travellers’ perceptions of the country also threw up the following descriptions of Singapore: vibrant (39%), futuristic (28%), innovative (24%) and multicultural (26%).

Singapore Tourism Board’s ‘Made in Singapore’ global campaign, launched in September last year, aims to put a fresh spin on STB’s ‘Passion Made Possible’ destination brand and focuses on how Singapore transforms familiar or ordinary moments into extraordinary and memorable experiences for travellers. Leveraging this, a month of activations under the banner of ‘Unreal. Made in Singapore’ has been introduced this March to showcase ‘unreal’ and amazing experiences, to inspire travel to the destination.

Michael Rodriguez, area director northern and southwestern Europe, Singapore Tourism Board, said: “Singapore is a destination that is so unreal, it is more unbelievable than any traveller, and even AI, can imagine. It offers unexpected takes on everyday moments, and captivates through its vibrant culture, food and nature, alongside show-stopping and futuristic scenery. The launch of our integrated campaign marks a significant point in our journey to welcome more UK travellers to Singapore and establishing ourselves as a must-visit destination in 2024.”

The launch of the campaign comes on the back of a strong recovery for Singapore’s tourism industry in 2023 with International Visitor Arrivals (IVA) reaching 13.6 million and Tourism Receipts (TR) estimated to reach between S$24.5 to S$26 billion.