SINGAPORE - More funds for training course fees, salary support for hotels that send staff for training and a $1,000 payout to tour guides are among measures introduced to bolster tourism companies hit hard by the coronavirus outbreak.

These moves to ease the impact of Covid-19 were announced on Friday (Feb 21) by the Singapore Tourism Board (STB), SkillsFuture Singapore and Workforce Singapore, together with the Singapore Hotel Association (SHA) and Food, Drinks and Allied Workers Union (FDAWU).

Part of the Stabilisation and Support Package announced this week in the Budget statement, they were unveiled on Friday (Feb 21) by Minister for Manpower Josephine Teo and Senior Minister of State Chee Hong Tat at a visit to Copthorne King's Hotel.

Mrs Teo said: "Because of the outbreak and the impact on the tourism sector, we are definitely very concerned and we want to help them tide over this period."

The business lull, caused by the drop in visitors, is also an opportunity to improve the skills of staff "that will help them when recovery comes," she added.

"We know this is a temporary setback, so we can take advantage of this opportunity to be prepared for the future because the outlook is still fundamentally positive," she said.

To strengthen these workers' capabilities, the STB's Training Industry Professionals in Tourism (TIP-iT) fund will pay up to 90 per cent of training course fees and trainer fees. The previous cap was 50 per cent.

In addition, funding for absentee payroll will go up from $4.50 per hour to 90 per cent of the worker's hourly basic salary, capped at $10 an hour.

Similarly, SkillsFuture Singapore will do the same for employers who send their workers for selected sector-specific training programmes.

For the next three months, it will give them absentee payroll support at 90 per cent of hourly basic salary capped at $10 per hour, plus fund 90 per cent of the course fees.

Meanwhile, Workforce Singapore will enhance its Job Redesign Place-and-Train (JR PnT) Programme for Hotel Industry to equip staff with higher skills.

Hotels can receive salary support of up to 70 per cent, capped at $2,000 per month per employee. Its duration is extended to six months. Previously, it was three months.

Mr Chee gave details of the support for tourist guides, many of whom are self-employed or freelancers, he noted.

STB will give these guides $1,000 over three months to help with some of their basic living expenses.

Eligible guides have to be licensed, a Singapore citizen or permanent resident, and self-employed.

Those who qualify can submit an application through the Travel Agents and Tourist Guides Licensing System (Trust) from March 1 to April 30.

Also, tourist guides who complete 80 hours of training will get a training allowance of $600 from Workforce Singapore.

Its chief executive, Mr Tan Choon Shian, said: "We hope these measures to help companies defray training and wage costs through reskilling workers will give those operating and working in the sector some respite during this trying period."

STB's chief executive, Mr Keith Tan, said: "While this is a tough time for tourism, we must position ourselves for a strong recovery. These measures will help us do that."