The Singapore Tourism Board (STB) has launched a regional public relations agency pitch to establish a panel of communications partners across six Southeast Asian markets as part of a new three-year engagement aimed at strengthening Singapore's tourism promotion in the region.According to the tender, agencies can bid for one or more of the six markets—Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam and Cambodia—but must have a physical presence in the markets they wish to serve.Unlike the traditional model of appointing a single regional agency, STB plans to create a panel of agencies, assigning projects based on strategic fit and market expertise. In addition to core responsibilities, agencies may receive ad hoc assignments during the contract period.The agreement will run from 1 October 2026 to 30 September 2029 under a 1+1+1 arrangement, with annual performance evaluations determining whether agencies remain on the panel throughout the three-year term.Appointed agencies will provide strategic communications counsel, develop market-specific PR strategies and execute media and social media programmes. Their responsibilities will include media relations, key opinion leader (KOL) engagement, press trip management, content creation, media monitoring, reporting, and paid media partnerships where required.For Indonesia and Vietnam, the selected agencies will also manage STB's local social media channels and create market-specific digital engagement strategies.The scope of work may further extend to integrated marketing campaigns, media events, translation services and collaboration with STB's creative, media, digital and headquarters communications teams. Agencies will also be expected to ensure a smooth transition with incumbent partners where necessary.Terrence Voon, Executive Director, Southeast Asia at the Singapore Tourism Board, said the shift to a panel model reflects the diversity of Southeast Asia's media landscape and evolving traveller behaviour. He noted that the approach would allow STB to draw on specialised expertise and local market insights to deliver communications programmes tailored to each country's unique audience.The tender also outlines several challenges facing Singapore's tourism marketing efforts, including intensifying competition from neighbouring destinations, perceptions among repeat visitors that the destination offers limited novelty, relatively low awareness in secondary cities and Singapore's image as a comparatively expensive destination.Through the new appointments, STB aims to strengthen awareness, consideration and advocacy for Singapore as both a leisure and business destination while deepening relationships with traditional media, digital publishers, influencers and key opinion leaders across the region.The regional pitch follows STB's earlier appointment of Edelman as its public relations agency in Singapore, where the agency was tasked with supporting strategic communications, media engagement, crisis counsel, digital amplification and campaign execution under a contract that began earlier this year.