Destinations known | Trump-Kim summit – Singapore uses historic meet as ultimate branding exercise
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United States President Donald Trump, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and former NBA star Dennis Rodman were not the only out-of-towners to descend on Singapore this week. The Lion City extended a warm welcome to tourists hoping to bear witness to history in the making, or, at the very least, get some fodder for their social-media feeds as a motorcade flashed by.
While it is possible that blockades and other security measures put in place for the Trump-Kim summit had an impact on immediate visitor spending, the sheer number of those trying to get a glimpse of the bombastic heads of state meant that enterprising hotels, restaurants and retailers were able to cash in on increased interest in the city-state, with summit-themed drinks, meals, merch and more.
“Gourmet” joint Wolf Burgers invited the leaders to “settle the beef” over its Burger for World Peace, which brought the time-honoured adversaries together through a fusion of American and Korean flavours. Elsewhere, tacos, ice teas, cocktails and the signature Singaporean dish nasi lemak were all given an Instagram-friendly Trump-Kim twist. The international media were also catered to, with certain outlets offering delegates and journalists discounts and complimentary drinks, presumably in the hope of a bit of free press.
The Shangri-La Hotel, Singapore, where Trump stayed; Kim’s property of choice, The St Regis Singapore; and the summit location, Capella Singapore, on Sentosa Island, were placed firmly in the global spotlight, the luxury properties being showcased to a worldwide audience. A smiling Kim personally did his bit to advertise some of the city’s major attractions, playing the role of tourist and taking selfies in the Gardens by the Bay, Marina Bay Sands and Jubilee Bridge before going mano a mano with Trump.
The Singapore Tourism Board recorded 17.4 million arrivals in 2017, a 6 per cent increase on the previous year. Whether the summit stimulates a further spike in visitor numbers remains to be seen, but officials are hopeful that playing hospitable host to a meeting that could save the human race from nuclear armageddon will pay dividends.