PATA's US$500,000 Project Phoenix campaign is a three-month "reputation management programme", while Singapore has kicked off a confidence-building drive with a print burst to highlight its removal from the World Health Organisation's list of Sars-infected countries.
Managed by Michael de Kretser consultancy, Project Phoenix has wider objectives - it will serve as PATA's "blueprint for risk and reputation management in Pacific Asia travel and tourism - not just for Sars recovery but for other crises which may affect our industry", according to Peter de Jong, PATA's president and chief executive.
Project Phoenix will leverage the power of television, print and radio; deliver common key messages that can dovetail with national recovery promotions; encourage a balanced media perspective about destinations; partner with credible independent sources of information including the WHO, the International Air Transport Asso- ciation; and appoint high profile 'tourism ambassadors' to stimulate public confidence.
The tourism ambassadors will include "actresses, singers, famous business people and media celebrities," said PATA spokesman Ken Scott. "Project Phoenix needs to invigorate travel and tourism across the spectrum, targeting all regardless of demographics." All 40 government members of PATA are participating in the project, and contributing either cash, services or both.
PATA member Singapore has kicked off a confidence-building drive, with advertisements in major regional titles - the Asian Wall Street Journal, International Herald Tribute and Financial Times - and dailies in Malaysia, Indonesia, Australia, Britain and North America, until June 15. The city was declared Sars-free at the end of May. The "testimonial" ad proclaimed Singapore was Sars-free and included a quote from WHO's executive director for Communicable Diseases, Dr David Heymann, as well as endorsements from the heads of multinationals firms and chambers of commerce.
The print burst is part of a S$200 million public and private sectors push to revive the ailing industry. About 30 per cent of the STB's contribution will be spent on the testimonial ads and a global campaign from the third week of June to underline the city's Sars-free status and fistful of discounts and activities lined up for visitors. STB chief executive Lim Neo Chian said he hoped the initiative would bring in four million arrivals and S$4 billion in tourism receipts from June to December. If achieved, Singapore would end up with only 20 per cent fewer visitors this year - rather than the 70 per cent drop it had been chalking up each month since the Sars crisis. Last year, the city received 7.57 million visitors.
SINGAPORE: talling the cost of sars' toll
Period Visitors %
January to March 2003 1,814,059 -2.0
March 2003 559,289 -14.6
April 1-28 2003 192,900 -67
May 1-26 2003 142,000 -72
Source: Singapore Tourism Board.