Credit and the advantages
Wondering what you can do this semester break? The SingapoRediscovers vouchers can help with that! The vouchers were released at the start of December 2020, and they allow Singaporeans to book hotels, visit attractions, and go on tours to support the local tourism industry. Over 300,000 Singaporeans have used their SingapoRediscovers vouchers, so what are you waiting for?
The ticket prices of attractions in Singapore can range from $15 to more than $70, but having the vouchers certainly allow full-time students to enjoy playing tourist in their own country without having to worry too much about their spending.
“The first thing that came to my mind was the Singapore Zoo, as I have visited there for a long time and it is also quite pricey,” said Mavis Wong Zi Yue, 18, a first year student in Temasek Polytechnic’s Diploma of Business.
Mavis feels that the vouchers allow her to spend more time with her family and friends. It also gives her a chance to relax and have fun without worrying about the cost of the attraction tickets.
Jamie Koh, 34, the co-founder of HYJK interior design company, had used her vouchers to go kart as well as visit the red dot design museum. She shared that she enjoyed the tickets as she “can visit attractions without paying or paying minimal amounts”.
Singaporeans are encouraged to use the vouchers to support Singapore’s once-booming tourism industry. The vouchers are also a great way to spend time with friends and family, as they can be used to buy tickets to various attractions.
These vouchers come with many benefits but there may also be some difficulties that come along with them. Wong noted that locating the vouchers was a bit challenging for the average consumer.
“At the start, it was not easy, I (had) to search different websites to know how to redeem it,” she said. “I had to toggle between two websites but after one try, I got the hang of it and even (tried) to help my friends out.”
She added: “There are many people who are not able or find it hard to use the SingapoRediscovers vouchers. I think they can have stations in Community Centres to give out the tickets especially to the elderly and also explain to them how it works.”
On the other hand, Fahim Safi, a 21-year-old Cyber & Network Security Higher NITEC student from ITE College West felt that the redemption process was relatively easy. He also loved the fact that the vouchers encouraged him to get out of his house and he chose to utilise his vouchers on a trip to the S.E.A. Aquarium.
Said Fahim: “It was fun as it’s been a long time since I last went to the aquarium. Also, I will normally stay at home during the weekends, but with the vouchers, it gives me the reason to step out of my house I will be spending the remaining vouchers on a sunset yacht trip and maybe the cable car.”
For more information, you can sign up for the free Consumer Credit talks through the Credit Bureau Singapore Facebook Page. If you are curious about your own credit report, you can visit the Credit Bureau Singapore website to retrieve it.
The vouchers may also result in an increase in the number of people venturing outside their homes. So while it is exciting to rediscover Singapore, do keep in mind to maintain an appropriate social distance with others and sanitize your hands!
Sidebar (Ways to enjoy the vouchers)
There are numerous activities that can be done in Singapore, but how do you know which activities or events you can use your vouchers on?
You can actually look through the list of authorised booking partners such as Klook, Traveloka, Trip.com, GlobalTix and Changi Recommends. Each of these sites actually utilises an icon that indicates which activities fall under the SingapoRediscover voucher promotion. You can then easily browse through the site, shop and redeem the voucher instantly.
Some ways you can use your SingapoRediscover vouchers
Staycations
If you miss travelling around and staying at numerous gorgeous hotels, why not try having a staycation in some of Singapore’s hotels. If you’re looking to get a discount on a room you can book an Ocean View, Deluxe Room at the Mandarin Oriental from Global Tix. Go with your family on a weekday to get this room for $351.92.
However, if you don’t want to splurge the entirety of your voucher, then you can check out the Ji Hotel Orchard on Klook. You can book a superior room or a Deluxe room for two people at only $80. At the end of your staycation you’ll still have $20 of your voucher to spare on other fun local activities.
Tours
With the world advancing at a rapid pace, you may want to have a blast from the past with Singapore’s Disappearing Trade Tour by Trip.com. Learn how to traditionally make kopi, bread and the Songkok. Not only that, you can learn about how the Chinese pray and pay their respects to their elders.
Walking around for a tour may not be your cup of tea, but lucky for you there is the Original DUCKtours in Klook! It’s a quick and easy tour, lasting for only an hour. All you have to do is sit back, relax and take in Singapore’s historical landmarks and the skyline in a tour that is half on land and half on water.
Out of the city
If you would like to take a break from the usually bustling city centre, why not try attending the Yesterday Once More tour from Traveloka. You can take a full-day tour around Singapore’s last surviving Kampong and taste coffee from the Ho Tit Coffee Powder Factory and bread from the Jie Traditional Bread Bakery. You will then end the day with a heritage tour around Tiong Bahru. So, if you’re interested in learning about Singapore culture, then this is the tour for you!
If you’re an animal and nature lover, you may be interested in joining the Nature and Farm Tour from Changi Recommendations. You will be able to visit a variety of farms, such as the Hay Dairies Farm, the only goat farm in Singapore, and the Kim Yang Agrotech Farm, which is pesticide-free, growing edible plants. This 3.5 hour tour provides lunch or dinner (depending on your time slot) and a chance for sightseeing at the Sungei Buloh Wetland reserve, full of migratory birds and midland creators.
Fun activities
You may want to take this opportunity to learn a new skill and in just two hours you could learn how to make your own prints in the Woodblock Print Workshop by Klook. This workshop is held by the National Gallery for just $35. You can learn about the stamping process as well as personalise your own stamp to take home at the end of the day.
Of course, if you’re looking for some thrill but aren’t too sure where to spend your voucher, you can purchase the Sentosa Fun Pass with 130 Tokens on Trip.com. With the fun pass, you can enjoy the various activities in Sentosa, such as the GoGreen segway, Adventure Cove Waterpark, Headrock VR, Skypark and more.
By Lim Lek Suen, Liu YingTong & Chloe Sofia Creag Nacario
