Page 2811 - Week 08 - Tuesday, 14 August 2018
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grow destination awareness under the Singapore Airlines and ACT government joint tourism marketing partnership.
As we continue to support the growth of international passenger travel, we also took the opportunity whilst in Singapore to tour two new freight distribution and logistics facilities. I visited Toll City, a next-generation warehousing facility designed to cater for growth industries such as pharmaceuticals, and we had an in-depth discussion around how the ACT government and Canberra Airport can work with Toll on opportunities in this area.
I also met with the YCH group, a significant importer of primary produce into Singapore, about the opportunities for the delivery of fresh produce and other products from the Canberra region. This continues to be an area of focus for the ACT government and the Canberra Airport, to capitalise on the opportunities these direct flights offer.
Going to the tourism sales program, VisitCanberra delivered a comprehensive sales program in Singapore during this delegation, and I was delighted that 19 Canberra tourism operators participated. The objectives included developing and strengthening business relationships with the key distribution partners and providing opportunities for tourism operators to network with customers. The significant support received by local operators demonstrates the increasing opportunities that Canberra businesses are seeing in the Singapore market. Further talks occurred between the Commissioner for International Engagement and representatives of Canberra’s National Zoo and Aquarium to progress the linking of our zoo and aquarium with the Singapore Zoo and the Wellington Zoo through a memorandum of understanding.
Whilst in Singapore I also attended the opening of Screen Canberra’s screen pod training course conducted with the Singapore Film Commission. Canberra has a growing film and entertainment industry that delivers many of the government’s objectives around diversification of the economy, innovation and, of course, Canberra as a city of ambition. Screen pod links creatives with the market to co-develop commercial projects. Screen Canberra ran a taster of the screen pod training in Singapore and hopes that this will lead to talent exchange, Australian opportunities and co-productions between Canberra and Singapore.
Over the first weekend of the delegation, the World Cities Summit was held. This consisted of a number of activities attended by the Commissioner for International Engagement and me, including the Young Leaders Symposium, the Mayors Forum, a technology showcase meeting with Hewlett Packard and the Singapore business showcase. A hundred and sixty mayors from around the world attended the forum to discuss a range of issues facing local governments as the world becomes increasingly urbanised.
It would be fair to say that this weekend program was extensive, and I thank the government of Singapore, in particular the Centre for Liveable Cities, for organising this summit, and for the participation of both me and the Commissioner for International Engagement.
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