Singapore Tourism Board has named Markus Tan as its new Regional Director for India, Middle East, South Asia & Africa. With effect from January 1, 2024, Tan will take over from G B Srithar and the two are currently on a nationwide tour to meet with the Indian travel trade and media as Srithar prepares to hand over the reins to Tan in three weeks.

After over seven years of promoting Singapore as a tourism destination in India, G B Srithar will hand over charge to Markus Tan, who will take over as Regional Director, India, Middle East, South Asia and Africa (IMESA) with effect from January 1, 2024.

As part of the transition period, Srithar and Tan are currently on a nationwide tour across India, meeting with the travel trade fraternity as well as media in order to introduce Tan to the Indian market. And as part of this tour, Singapore Tourism Board organised an evening of interaction with the travel trade in New Delhi on Tuesday.

On the occasion, Srithar said that Singapore was poised to cross the benchmark of 1 million Indian visitors in the year 2023 and India was the 4th largest source market for the City-State, and though it was still only about 76 pc of the pre-pandemic high of 1.41 million Indian visitors, Srithar expressed confidence that his successor would achieve that landmark soon.

‘‘The year 2023 has been an interesting year for us. We started off with a bit of challenge as Singapore was among the six countries for which pre-arrival visitor testing was supposed to be done. So after that we took off and the number of Indian arrivals into Singapore has been increasing through month on month. As of November 2023, we are at 977,512 visitor arrivals. So the good news is we will finish 2023 with more than 1 million Indian visitors visiting Singapore and India will be the fourth largest source market in terms of who the rivals for Singapore,’’ Srithar said.

Srithar also highlighted the key activities undertaken by him and the Singapore Tourism Board in India this year. “My challenge over the last seven and a half years has been on how do we engage the Indian consumers in an effective, agile, bold, creative, impactful way and let them know what are some of the experiences they can have in Singapore? So, in this particular year, we have done quite a few interesting projects focused on solo women travellers, shopping and food,’’ he said.

“I am thrilled to pass on the baton to Markus to lead Singapore’s tourism business across the IMESA region. Over the course of my tenure in this role, we have witnessed India’s steady growth into a true global powerhouse, with an outbound tourism market that is brimming with opportunities. With his robust expertise in the industry and building on the strong affinity that Indian travellers have for Singapore, I am confident that he is in good stead to steer the organisation through this new era of travel and tourism,” Srithar said, while introducing his successor, Tan, to the travel trade and the media.

Based in Mumbai, in his new role Tan will spearhead STB’s initiatives in promoting Leisure and Business Travel & Meetings, Incentives, Conventions and Exhibitions (BTMICE) in the IMESA region. His responsibilities will include overseeing travel promotions, public relations, and marketing, and driving developmental efforts to enhance Singapore’s position as a premier travel and business destination.

Srithar said that Tan was a veteran of STB, having dedicated 18 years to the organisation in various pivotal roles. Prior to this appointment, he served as the Director for World Expo and led the whole-of-government efforts to conceptualise, develop, and operate the Singapore Pavillion at Osaka World Expo 2025. From 2015 to 2022, he was based in Tokyo, Japan, as the Regional Director for North Asia, overseeing STB operations in Japan and the Republic of Korea. 

According to STB, Tan’s innovative marketing initiatives and collaborations with several brands played a crucial role in showcasing Singapore as an exciting destination, influencing markets beyond the two countries. The board says that Tan’s international stint included an impactful role in Guangzhou, China, where he was appointed Area Director, Southern China, and Hong Kong and Macau.

It adds that one of Tan’s unique strengths is his keen grasp and deep understanding of the BTMICE market through his various roles and projects in the space. Over the years, he has honed his skills and held key positions like Deputy Director, BTMICE Planning & Marketing, where he played a crucial role in developing strategies for the growth of Singapore’s BTMICE industry, as well as in marketing activities to strengthen Singapore’s position as a global business and MICE destination.

‘‘I am excited to take on the role of STB’s Regional Director in IMESA. India is a nation of rich culture, diversity, and, particularly in this historic moment of its explosive global growth, incredible business opportunities. As STB strives to showcase the best of what Singapore has to offer, we remain committed to nurturing our existing relationships and cultivating new ones with the Indian travel industry. With the support of my team, I look forward to embarking on this journey with our partners and friends across India and together encouraging Indians to build even deeper connections with Singapore,’’ says Tan.