The Singapore Tourism Board Courts Metaverse Lifestyle With Merlion on Vacation
The STB, in conjunction with a leading hospitality venture in Singapore, is offering an immersive virtual lifestyle experience and real-world rewards.
As metaverse adoption continues to increase, the hospitality industry joins the fray. To commemorate the 50th birthday of the famous Singaporean Merlion, the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) has partnered with local hospitality group Millennium Hotels and Resorts (MHR) to launch an immersive virtual adventure in the Metaverse. Christened ‘Merlion on Vacation,’ the experience will allow players to enter a metaverse edition of Singapore and enjoy a room package at M Social Singapore.
Players will be eligible to win real-world prizes, and the room package will carry a Merlion 50th birthday theme. Merlion, the central theme of the popular Merlion Park, celebrated his 50th birthday on the 15th of September, 2022. Players in Merlion on Vacation will be required to find clues to locate Merlion, who has been teleported to Decentraland for a vacation.
As players discover the virtual hotel M Social Decentraland, they will also be eligible to play Singapore-themed mini-games featuring their favorite national landmarks, including Sungei Buloh, Maxwell Food Center, Orchard Road, and Gardens by the Bay. Players who complete the games will gain a raffle ticket to win a grand prize of a night’s stay at M Social Singapore, along with hotel and F&B vouchers and other merch.
The Merlion 50th Birthday Package will commemorate its Golden Jubilee, and guests at M Social Singapore who sign up for the experience will enjoy Merlion-themed perfume-making and cocktail-mixing workshops. M Social Singapore is a part of the MHR Group, and its M Social Decentraland, opened in May 2022, is the first Metaverse hotel run by a hotel group. Merlion on Vacation is certain to attract more Singaporean users to the Decentraland metaverse, where M Social is situated on prime real estate, one tram stop from the starting point to all Decentraland visitors.
According to Mr. Saurabh Prakash, Group Senior Vice President, Commercial, MHR, the ultimate goal of the Group’s partnership with STB is to generate new revenue sources, promote Singapore and the M Social brand, and incentivize stays and dining at its physical locations. An executive at the Singapore Tourism Board, Mr. Chang Chee Pey, believes that the metaverse will provide opportunities for the Board to connect with new audiences and tourists innovatively, with the Singaporean brand as the focus of the virtual experience.
All players can enter M Social Decentraland free of charge. M Social Decentraland is the first for the Singaporean Group MHR, which only found its way into global markets in 2016. By partnering with the STB to bring this metaverse lifestyle project to fruition, MHR hopes to deliver an immersive view of Singapore to new customers and visitors worldwide.
The Merlion is Singapore’s national emblem for tourism and served as the first corporate logo for the Singapore Tourism Board. The mythical creature was created in 1964, with the head of a lion and a fish’s body. Merlion’s 50th birthday celebration marks Singapore’s tilt towards maximizing the potential of lifestyle and the metaverse while celebrating the longevity of the country’s favorite national icon.
