SINGAPORE - Walking, cycling and kayaking tours will be able to accommodate up to 20 people from Nov 1. The number is double the current limit.

But tours will still be subject to prevailing social gathering sizes, which means that 20 people must be split into four groups, with no intermingling allowed, the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) said in an update on Monday (Oct 19).

The larger group size will support the tourism industry and allow more Singapore residents to rediscover their home through unique tour experiences, the STB said.

All licensed travel agents and tour operators can also now resume on-site operations, though tour itineraries and schedules must still be submitted for approval.

Tour operators and tourist guides have been allowed to resume operations from July on a case-by-case basis, subject to approval from the Ministry of Trade and Industry.

Those planning to restart on-site operations are required to submit the number of workers who will be doing so via the GoBusiness portal within two weeks of resumption, the tourism board said.

Meanwhile, STB said it has inked a two-year marketing partnership with online travel agency Expedia to support the ongoing domestic tourism campaign and promote Singapore to select overseas markets as international travel resumes.

The tie-up will include a selection of staycations and bundle deals for locals on Expedia's website from now until April next year.

Campaigns and promotions will also be gradually rolled out to encourage visitors from Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong, the United Arab Emirates, Germany, France, Switzerland, Canada, Britain and the United States.

STB's assistant chief executive of its marketing group Lynette Pang said the partnership with Expedia will help local businesses to reach new customers when global travel returns.

"In the immediate term, we will encourage locals to rediscover their neighbourhoods and precincts, and to support their favourite businesses safely and responsibly," she said.