Award Winners
This year, special awards were presented to five individuals and one organisation for their invaluable contribution to the tourism industry:

• Mr Philip Ng, Chairman of Sentosa Development Corporation (SDC), received the Outstanding Contribution to Tourism Award for his exceptional leadership and guidance and his visionary stewardship that has shaped the resort island into one of the most exciting emerging leisure destinations in Asia with increasing appeal to the affluent tourist and business traveller. Visitors to the island rose steadily from 3.8 million in 2001 to 5.2 million in 2006. To date, Sentosa remains the most frequented paid-access leisure destination, commanding 31% of total foreign visitors to Singapore in 2005.  

• As the preferred choice for patients around the region, Parkway Hospitals Singapore Pte Ltd’s world-class medical specialists have helped develop Singapore’s reputation for healthcare services. In 2005, over 370,000 international patients visited Singapore for healthcare services. This strong growth can be attributed to the Parkway Group, which accounted for 60% of the international patient volume. For their commitment in entrenching the Singapore brand as a premier provider of quality medical care to the world, Parkway Hospitals Singapore Pte Ltd received the Special Recognition Award.

• Widely acknowledged as a ‘pioneer’ of the outbound travel market in India, Mr Ranjit Malkani is the founder of SOTC Travel which still retains its strong brand visibility under the overarching Kuoni Travel Group, India. For being instrumental in developing the outbound travel to Singapore from India as well as his passion and dedication in contributing to Singapore’s success as a tourist destination among Indians through his stewardship of the Marketing Advisory Council for India, Mr Ranjit Malkani was recognised with the Special Recognition Award.

• Under Mr Stephen Tan’s leadership as Chief Executive, Singapore Exhibition Services (SES) is currently Singapore’s largest exhibition organiser of B2B trade shows. Mr Tan’s personal success in contributing to a vibrant local trade show scene while boosting visitor arrivals and tourism receipts is exemplary. His unwavering advocacy for Singapore as a world-class MICE venue at international platforms is a source of inspiration for his counterparts. For all these significant contributions, Mr Stephen Tan was conferred the Special Recognition Award.

• The dynamic Mr Michael Ma, founder of IndoChine Group of Restaurants and Bars renowned for its Asian-inspired interior design and cuisine, lets his passion for food, entertaining and design take flight in every IndoChine venue. In recognizing his creative direction and business acumen in elevating IndoChine Group and Singapore as a premium dining host, as well as garnering international publicity for Singapore as a global dining and entertainment city by marketing his outlets as choice locations for distinguished events, Mr Michael Ma is awarded Tourism Entrepreneur of the Year.

• Mr Alexander Hascher was presented the New Tourism Entrepreneur of the Year Award. As the Managing Director of VENUE (Asia) Pte Ltd, Mr Hascher infused flair into the Singapore fashion scene when he spearheaded VENUE Asia, a multi-label boutique in 2005. He has contributed significantly to strengthening Singapore’s position as the fashion capital of the region and giving Singapore a head start in innovative fashion retail.