A very good evening to all and I am delighted to welcome everyone to this auspicious �Singapore Roars� event. This event marks a turning point in Singapore�s tourism industry as we recover from the challenges that SARS has posed over the last few months. Tonight is about moving forward, and letting the world know we are fully back in the business.

I would like to express a special welcome to the numerous guests from the global tourism industry (more than 130) and members of the international media (more than 40) who have flown in from around the world to join us at this party.

Here we stand by the Merlion, a symbol of the Singapore spirit. It is a spirit of resilience, a willingness to face challenges head on and overcome them by our own efforts. The SARS episode showed just that, more than any other experience in our recent history. Collectively, we took on the challenge, we kept our heads high, and we overcame. And this evening, we are privileged to have with us many of our healthcare workers, who more than anyone else personify this Singapore spirit. We salute you for your professionalism, dedication and selflessness. The removal of Singapore from the WHO list of SARS affected countries was only possible because of your commitment and effort, and it is fitting that you are able to be with us tonight as our tourism recovery programme kicks off.

The response to the SARS situation over the past three months has seen unprecedented collaboration between the Government and the tourism industry; from the installing of rigorous precautionary measures in public areas, to encouraging Singaporeans to step out and enjoy life and now, through this tourism recovery programme, reaching out to the world. The industry has come together, and decisively.

With these efforts, we expect to see a sustained recovery in tourism over the next few months, and well into the next year. Our immediate target is to attract some 4 million visitors and reap S$4 billion in tourism receipts over the period from June to December. We can achieve this, given the vote of confidence in Singapore that we are seeing globally. Our best advertisements are from the visitors and businesspeople who have been to Singapore recently, and are telling their friends and associates that Singapore is safe and back in form. We are already seeing a pick-up in conventions and conferences for the rest of the year.

The improvement has been visible in the last few weeks. Based on preliminary data for June, we expect visitor arrivals to increase by 45-50% this month, compared to May 2003. This is a turning point both for the industry and for the many thousands of people who work in tourism-related jobs.

There is no telling if SARS will recur in the future, in Asia or even in the West. While we focus our efforts on recovery, we will remain vigilant.

Through our swift and rigorous implementation of measures against SARS, we will keep Singapore a safe and enjoyable place to visit, to do business and to live in.

In closing, I would like to thank you all for coming tonight and I wish the tourism industry every success in the months ahead, and for many years to come.

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