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Designing the 2040 Visitor Experience


A strategic foresight & service design initiative to transform a fragmented, multi-industry ecosystem into a cohesive, yield-driven visitor experience targeting high-value global segments.




* Disclaimer *
Due to the confidentiality of this project, the extent of work presented on this page has been limited in accordance with a non-disclosure agreement with Singapore Tourism Board. All information in this case study is my own and does not necessarily reflect the views of Singapore Tourism Board.




M Y   R O L E

UX Strategist

T E A M

Tourism 2040
Taskforce
made up of multiple cross-functional internal departments

S C A L E

700+ stakeholders across 180 organisations
e.g. hospitality, banking, aviation, retail, government, etc.

T I M E

2024-2025











O V E R V I E W


The Tourism 2040 (T2040) initiative is a visionary roadmap designed to future-proof the nation’s long-term tourism infrastructure, product development, and B2B grant support systems.

We pursued a strict yield-driven approach, moving away from broad marketing strokes to focus on five high-value target segments: Active Silvers, Early Careers, Established Careers, Families with Young Kids, and Business Travellers. Across all of these profiles, we applied a highly specific lens on Ultra High Net Worth (UHNW) travelers to understand how immense wealth intersects with different life stages, decision-making processes, and travel behaviors.



O B J E C T I V E

To architect a unified, future-proof service design strategy that aligns cross-industry business requirements with the psychological drivers of high-yield global travelers, ultimately securing executive buy-in and government funding for 2040 infrastructure and product development.





C H A L L E N G E


While the existing national infrastructure was world-class, the end-to-end visitor experience remained highly fragmented across siloed operators such as airlines, airports, transport, hotels, f&b, entertainment and attractions. Preparing a national infrastructure for the year 2040 required looking far beyond standard marketing campaigns. The challenge was multifaceted:

we needed to deeply understand the evolving, deep-rooted motivations of diverse global travelers, while simultaneously identifying what physical infrastructure, financial grants, and operational support our industry partners required to successfully attract and serve them.






A P P R O A C H


We don’t just design interfaces; we design systems that move users from hesitation to action within complex, real-world environments. As part of a core team of three senior UX designers, we drove the discovery and alignment process across multiple government and private sector units.

To tackle a problem of this scale, we couldn't rely on surface-level data. We structured our service design approach into three distinct phases:

Discovering the ‘what’ through External Discovery

Structuring the ‘how’ via Internal Alignment

Deepening the ‘why’ with Data Validation








1. exploring outward

Discovering the ‘what’ through External Discovery


We planned and facilitated massive co-creation workshops with industry stakeholders ranging from cruise lines and hospitality to private banks, luxury brands, and private jet operators. To scale this effort, we also trained internal T2040 task force members to confidently run these design-thinking sessions

Pre-Workshop Strategic Alignment

Before engaging external partners, we rigorously aligned multiple internal departments on our desired outcomes. We established how to subtly guide the workshops to align with organizational goals without biasing the participants' raw input.

Strategic Prompting & Cross-Pollination

We guided participants through global, industry-specific case studies to inspire out-of-the-box thinking. We then facilitated cross-industry brainstorming, forcing disparate sectors (e.g., banking and hospitality) to collaborate on shared ecosystem solutions.




B2B2C Needs Mapping

We probed these business entities to uncover two layers of insights: what their specific travelers need (the consumer view), and what they, as businesses, need from a government organization to thrive (the b2b view). We mapped these findings against our existing internal data regarding traveler segmentation.
 




2. aligning inward

Structuring the ‘how’ via Internal Alignment


Following the industry workshops, we hosted targeted design-thinking sessions with the newly formed Segment Marketing and Visitor Experience teams to process the massive influx of data.

Dissecting Insights & Role Definition

We unpacked raw qualitative data from 700+ external stakeholders, translating industry feedback into actionable next steps. Crucially, we facilitated team alignment on how to handle this data, clearly defining our responsibilities as owners of the visitor experience and strategizing how we could influence the broader organization.

Data Gap Analysis

We conducted extensive data mapping, evaluating the metrics we already possessed versus the knowledge required to bridge our understanding of traveler needs. This allowed us to build an evidence-based case for exactly what data was still essential to collect.



Ecosystem Planning

We successfully shifted the internal paradigm from purely marketing-led initiatives to holistic product development. We brainstormed what new tourism products should be developed and what specific grant structures were necessary to support the various tourism sectors.





3. diving deep


Deepening the ‘why’ with Data Validation


As we mapped our data, we realized we had an abundance of metrics, but a distinct lack of insight into the underlying motivations behind traveler decisions. We needed to move past surface-level satisfaction scores to uncover deep psychological drivers.

Redesigning the Qualitative Engine

To validate our workshop findings, we partnered directly with major external organizations, such as the Changi Airport Group, Transport Associations, and Gardens by the Bay. We worked together to completely refine their existing traveler surveys, shifting the architecture to uncover the root causes of traveler needs, which in turn informed better product formulation.

End-to-End Service Blueprinting

We mapped the complete service blueprint for each segmentation profile. For example, by mapping the journey of a UHNW family with children on a layover, we identified the specific operational and psychological friction points preventing them from entering the city. We then designed a cross-ecosystem system to reduce decision fatigue at this critical moment.

Tailoring the Narrative System

By unveiling distinct traveler portraits based on unique interests and behaviors, we equipped internal teams with frameworks to tailor content delivery and storytelling. We ensured an offering pitched to an ‘Active Silver’ felt distinctly different and emotionally resonant compared to an ‘Early Career’ traveler. This narrative tailoring was instrumental in delivering new product recommendations and securing buy-in from the broader organization and industry stakeholders.





I M P A C T   &   O U T C O M E



1. Ministry Buy-In & Budget Approval

We turned thousands of qualitative data points into clear, actionable strategies. We proposed these infrastructure and product plans to the tourism board, which were then escalated to the Ministry of Trade and Industry. Backed by our data-driven evidence, we successfully secured budget approvals for future B2B grants and product initiatives.

2. Formation of the Strategic Taskforce

After the T2040 industry workshops, a dedicated Taskforce of 10 cross-functional leaders was formed. We led the alignment workshops for this group, tackling key experience design challenges to clarify the long-term direction and set measurable goals.

3. Championing UX Maturity

We embedded a strong design-thinking mindset within the new task force, segment marketing teams, and across other departments. By using effective storytelling, we turned dry survey data into compelling narratives. This bridged the gap between product owners, development teams, and external partners, ensuring the user voice directly shapes all future infrastructure decisions.

©2026 Edwina Huiru Zhao