SINGAPORE, Jan. 18 (Xinhua) -- Singapore has been designated the Official Culinary Destination Partner for the World Restaurant Awards, the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) announced on Friday.

The designation comes as part of the partnership that the Singapore Tourism Board and the World Restaurant Awards have entered into, and will effectively place the island nation under global spotlight next month -- at the inaugural World Restaurant Awards which will be held in Paris, France, Singapore will be represented by some of the island's top talents that will aim to showcase the unique flavors and best of Singapore culinary experiences.

The World Restaurant Awards is a new, progressive annual awards platform created by global events and talent management behemoth, IMG.

"STB is delighted to partner The World Restaurant Awards with Singapore as the Official Culinary Destination Partner in its inaugural year," Melissa Ow, Deputy Chief Executive of STB said in her statement, adding that "we hope to shape the global audience's perception that Singapore is a leading culinary destination with an increasingly vibrant dining and cocktail landscape."

The partnership will also bring about learning and development opportunities for Singapore's culinary talents through "The World Restaurant Awards Talent Exchange Programme" initiative that will be launched jointly by STB and IMG.

The initiative is a first-of-its-kind enterprise which will attach emerging chefs from Singapore to The World Restaurant Awards-winning or nominated establishments in a bid to raise standards both ways.

"The World Restaurant Awards is proud to be working with Singapore as its Official Culinary Destination Partner for its inaugural edition," Justin Clarke, SVP and Managing Director of Culinary, IMG said.