Introduction
The tourism industry in Singapore has undergone countless changes over the years in an attempt to make it the perfect getaway. This has seen the country adopt different strategies designed to promote tourism. These policies have been subject to endless socio-economic fluctuations, not only on the local scene but also on the global front. This paper is intended to discuss Singapore as the ideal tourist destination and the inherent features that give it preference over others.
Discussion
Tourism is regarded as a major industry in Singapore and one of the chief contributors to the country’s economy. In 2010 alone, the country attracted 11,638,663 tourists, a figure that is twice the population of Singapore. The attraction to the country can be attributed to the diversity of its culture that echoes its colonial history blended with the Indian, Chinese, Malay and Arab cultures (Lim, 2007). The official languages of the country are Malay, English, Chinese and Tamil. English serves as the language of administration while Malay is the national language. Singapore’s government has adopted meaningful and well-calculated policies and strategies that have served to promote tourism (Lim, 2007).
The island is geographically divided into three: the western region, which is made up of a succession of rolling hills and valleys, the flat eastern part and the central hilly region. Singapore has a uniform climate of high humidity and sufficient rainfall due to its proximity to both the equator and the ocean and has an average temperature of 26 degrees centigrade.
One of the most popular attractions is the zoo which operates on modern concepts where the animals are not caged. Instead, they are kept in enclosures and are separated from the tourists by moats. The island of Sentosa is another major attraction that attracts an average of 5 million tourists annually. It contains more than 30 landmarks including Fort Siloso which is a Japanese fortress built to protect Japanese interests during the second world war..Also present on the island is the Tiger Sky Tower on top of which visitors can have an unobstructed view of the entire island.
Another major tourist destination in Singapore is the Orchard Road District. The area comprises multi-storeyed shopping malls and hotels and is widely regarded as the center of Singapore’s tourism. In order to encourage shopping, the government organizes a yearly sale called the Great Singapore sale where shoppers are offered great bargains and discounts at identified outlets. Singapore also has some of the best conference and meeting facilities in the world. This has resulted from the government’s interest in the business sector that has seen it give incentives to investors who have done a wonderful job in establishing incredible conferences and facilities (STB, 2011).
The year 2010 also saw Singapore emerge as one of the most sought-after cruise ship destinations. 650 passenger ships came calling, bringing with them 1.01 million passengers. Other waterfront attractions include the Boat Quay which is located on the mouth of River Singapore. On the quay are old shophouses that have been conserved and renovated, to house classic upscale bars, pubs and restaurants. Moored close by are Chinese junks that have also been refurbished to house floating restaurants and bars. These establishments also provide the country’s nightlife, as they are designed to include nightclubs and discos.
In recent times Singapore’s hotel occupancy has risen, and in line with the demand, more hotels have been put up. The inventory at present shows a bed capacity of 47,000 (STB, 2011). The surge in visitors’ arrival has not in any way compromised the quality of services offered in these establishments. The government has seen to this by launching the hotel transformation plan of 2010. This brought together over 70 hotels in a ceremony that sought to formalize their dedication and commitment to strengthening the sector’s competitiveness by introducing productivity initiatives. Consequently, this plan has raised the value of hotel-related jobs and has attracted a better and skilled workforce, thereby improving service delivery (Yeoh, et al 2003).
Singapore’s cuisine is one of the major drivers of the country’s tourist industry. The country has a cuisine that captures the cultural diversity that is ever evident among its population. Apart from the rich cultured food found in the hotels, street stalls provide an appetizing and rich array of mouth-watering traditional meals that are prepared in the different traditions of the local population. It is commonplace to find on the streets, Malay hawkers selling traditional Chinese food or Chinese stalls that excel in the preparation of Indian cuisine. This trend has been used with much success to promote Singapore as a tourist destination by the Tourism Board of Singapore (STB,2011). To further enhance the proliferation of local cuisines, the government organizes a food festival every July and invites chefs from all over the world to showcase their talent in the field. Singapore can thus be termed as a food paradise, where food from all over the world can be sampled. (STB, 2011).
All this would not be possible in the absence of certain levels of infrastructural development. Singapore has an advanced infrastructure that it inherited from the colonialists. Over the years it has strived to improve the existing infrastructure while developing new ones. The country has an advanced road network that makes the entire country accessible. To supplement this complex road network is a comprehensive railroad network that connects the northeast of Singapore to the Marina area and Sentosa (Lim, 2007). The state is also served by a modern airport at Changi which has won international accolades for its dedication to service delivery. The airport accommodates more than 80 airlines that fly to 180 cities in 120 countries.
Singapore has undoubtedly established itself as a prime tourist destination. However, a lot still needs to be done in order to compete with other top Asian destinations such as Shanghai, Tokyo and Hong Kong. There is a need to widen the port further in anticipation of more cruise tourism that will undoubtedly be realized in the coming years. It is also vital to develop integrated world-class resorts to match similar establishments in Las Vegas and the Bahamas. This will have the effect of providing within one compound, world-class developments with facilities such as hotels, luxury retail, casinos, convention facilities and theme attractions. However, these changes must be founded on long-term planning if they are to be economically tenable. If done with care and precision, the changes will transform Singapore into one of the best and most sought-after tourist destinations in the world.
Reference List
Lim, H. (2007) infrastructure development in Singapore. International infrastructure development in East Asia, 2(1) 228-262.
Singapore Tourist Board (2011). Annual Report. Web.
Yeoh, B.S., Ser, T.E., Wang, J., Wong, T. (2002). Tourism in Singapore: an overview of policies and issues. Tourism management and policies, 11-14.