Singapore Tourism Profile - Research Paper Example

? Day Month Year Singapore Tourism Profile Introduction The Republic of Singapore is situated in Southeast Asia, very near to the equator. It is actually an island city-state and is made up of more than 50 distinct islands. The country of Singapore certainly possesses a thriving economy, technological and skilled workforce, and an affluent populace. Singapore itself was founded in 1819 and, after a series of country agreements with the United Kingdom and Malaysia at separate times during its history, is now a fully independent republic (Henderson, Chee, Mun, & Lee 36). This tourism profile will examine certain aspects of Singaporean culture and life that have a direct impact on tourism in Singapore and throughout the region. Role and Significance of Major Cities Singapore is quite unique in that it is a city-state. By definition, this means that it is a one-city country, similar to Vatican City. The only geographical distinction in Singapore is that, over time, they have named a few small town and villages in the remote parts such as Tao Payoh, Ang Mo Kio, and Bedok. The major city of Singapore is the economic hub of Southeast Asia and is one of the prosperous and most expensive cities to live in globally (Henderson 124). Cultural Factors Through the years, Singapore has become a mix of Chinese, Malay, Indian, and British influence. This has created a rich and diverse culture that has evolved over the years into what it is today. Modern day Singapore began largely as a large fishing village under the auspices of the British Empire. The unique aspect of the Singaporean culture is that many different ethnicities have coexisted alongside each other for so many years that there is little separation along racial lines today (Phua, Berkowitz, & Gagermeir 1255). While there is certainly a class struggle taking place, as in most first world countries, the country is not divided by ethnicity. When visiting Singapore, tourists would be interested know that the family structure is extremely strong. For the most part, Singaporean families are quite small, averaging only one or two children. The exception would be ethnic Malays, who tend to have more children (Phua, Berkowitz, & Gagermeir 1255). The cost of raising a family is extremely expensive on the island, likely accounting for the small family size. Because of this, the family unit is central to the culture. Because of the focus on education, young people are delaying getting married, particularly women, limiting their childbearing years. This has created a potential problem in terms of under population, already represented in the amount of foreign labor that the country depends on to keep advancing. The population growth in Singapore is one of the lowest in the world. While it is difficult to say that any country has truly achieved gender equality, Singapore certainly appears to be headed in that direction, if they have not already arrived. Women currently hold high positions in both the government and private business sectors. Women and men alike have the same rights when it comes to politics, employment, and education (Heng & Low 249). In addition, both men and women have rights to maternity leave, making this a unique part of Asian culture and similar to many countries in the rest. As tourists prepare to travel to the Republic of Singapore, they should note that the many residents are bilingual. Most Singaporeans speak English as their main language, although people from the West will note some variations in word choice and accent. In addition to English, many people will speak Mandarin Chinese, Malay, or Tamil. The educational system in Singapore it structured in English, with a child’s second language being taught as their foreign language. Climate and Topography Singapore itself is only 269 square miles in total. An interesting fact is that this makes the land size only four times bigger than the District of Columbia in the United States. The island is located just to the south of the Malaysian Peninsula, which, as mentioned, places it very close to the equator. While there are many smaller islands that fall under the jurisdiction of the country, the main island is home to more than 93% of the total land. Because of the limited land space, nearly all of Singapore is urban today, making for virtually no rural areas. The topography is surprisingly flat throughout most of the island. The government has protected a few wildlife preserves, so today Singapore is home to about 140 different species of birds and some 100 or so small forest animals. In addition to this, there are more than 800 different species of plants resident on the island. Due to its proximity to the equator, the climate in Singapore rarely fluctuates much. The humidity is high year round and temperature range for the past century has only fluctuated between 75 and 91 degrees Fahrenheit. While it tends to rain every month of they year, the wettest months appear to be from November until January of each year, when the average rainfall is about 10 inches per month. Demographics Singapore depends a great deal on outside labor and other aspects of daily life in order to sustain the island. While the official population of Singapore stands at about 5.5 million people, it is interesting to note that just under 40% of this figure represents foreign workers or permanent residents that live in the country. The percentage of foreign workers in Singapore is one of the highest in the world. In fact, it is further estimated that nearly 25% of the citizenry of Singapore was born outside of the country itself (Heng and Low 260). The average age in Singapore is 37 years and it is estimated that the average household size is 3.5 people. Because land is minimal throughout the country, a majority of the people lives in high-rise apartment or condominium buildings. Home ownership in the country is extremely high at just under 82%. Finally, it should be noted that a majority of Singaporeans (about 75%) are Chinese. The rest of the population consists of about 13% Malaysian descent, just over 9% from India, and the rest from Europe or other countries. Major Tourist Attractions Recent years have seen an explosion in tourism growth in Singapore. Perhaps the most well know tourist attraction is the Nigh Safari. This is the largest outdoor safari in Asia and is noted at being the world’s first nocturnal zoo. The safari itself is home to more than 1,040 animals, of which there 120 unique species among them. In addition, nearly 30% of the animals in the safari are endangered. The night safari in Singapore has won dozens of international tourism awards dating back to 1996. Nature does not stop with the night safari. Because of the governments decision to protect certain wildlife preserves on the island out of fear there would no natural land left to speak of, the Singapore Zoo and Botanical Gardens have become world-class tourist destinations as well (Meng, Siriwardana, & Pham 25). For the leisure traveler, Singapore is now home to Sentosa Island. In addition to numerous four and five star resorts, there is now a Universal Studies and various outdoor entertainment venues. There is also a beach that is well established, in addition to several world-class casinos. The Singapore Flyer is also a great tourist destination that Europeans would recognize as being similar to the London Eye. This Ferris wheel actually has the distinction of being the world’s largest, at 165 meters. From the Flyer, one can see most of Singapore from a 360-degree view. It is also located in Marina Bay, which is a world famous shopping destination. Markets and Competitive Advantages and Disadvantages Based both on land and population, Singapore is one of the smallest countries in all of Southeast Asia, yet is has one of the most powerful economies in the region. The economy is based largely on an entrepreneurial spirit and the general population works hard to maintain their competitive edge. Historically, petroleum dominated the economic landscape of the country, but that has now been replaced by manufacturing. Electronics manufacturing dominates the market and Singapore certainly has a competitive advantage in this area with a skilled labor force, and the importation of labor from abroad. In reality, many companies in Singapore are foreign owned and are comprised of multi-national corporations (Heng & Low 262). Beyond the electronics industry, Singapore has a sizeable interest in wholesale, retail trade, and financial services sectors. It is also worth to note that tourism in Singapore is actively promoted and has become a significant part of the economy, and the source of much job creation, within the country. There is a comparative disadvantage in the agriculture sector. Because of the limited land size, much of Singapore consists of an urban landscape, save for a few protected areas that the government reserves for parks and natural habitat. As such, most all food on the island is imported, increasing food costs and contributing to the reason that Singapore has one of the highest costs of living per capita in the world. Existing Tourist Infrastructure Due to a limited population, Singapore depends a great deal on international tourism (Chang 91). With this in mind, the country has spent a great deal of effort developing world-class venues and entertainment options, and also in bringing international sporting events and concerts to the island. An example of this is the Formula One Grand Prix. This event has been a regular fixture on the Formula One circuit since 2008 and Singapore spends a great deal of money to make sure it stays there. It has become a featured event on the tour, drawing hundreds of thousands of tourists alone every year. To accommodate the growth in tourism in Singapore, numerous hotels and resorts have been lured to the country in recent years, turning it into a world’s top tourist destination. In the year 2010, Singapore saw a record growth in the number of tourists visiting the country of 20 percent. This exceeded the growth in all of Asia by seven percent. This, in the end, equated to direct revenue of $18.8 Billion (Lin, Leong, & Lei 72). The infrastructure in Singapore related to tourism is solid. Hotels are seeing occupancy rates at 80-90 percent year round that the industry is providing about 111,500 jobs. This ends up equating to about 3.5 percent of the total workforce in Singapore. Much of this growth has been attributed to the opening of Integrated Resorts and the addition of Formula One racing (Lin, Leong, & Lei 74). As noted in a recent economic report, “While overall improvements in the global economy helped to boost TVA in 2010, the investments that Singapore has made to improve its tourism infrastructure and offering, as well as tourism capabilities over the years have also paid dividends” (Lin, Leong, & Lei 75). This has included not only the addition of several world-class tourist venues, but also an improvement to behind the scenes support for the tourist industry. The focus that the government has shown on tourism is only serving to further establish Singapore as the hub of Asian tourism. Role of the National Tourism Board As with most countries, the Singapore Tourism Board is responsible for promoting the continue growth of the tourism industry and making sure it remains a viable contributor to the overall economy of the country. To do this, they work hard to forge partnerships, increase innovation and the technological infrastructure evident in the tourist sector, and make sure that the offerings provided to tourists are of excellent value and continue to be a positive experience. They promote the country at various exhibitions around Asia and, indeed, the world. Through the maintenance of their website, www.app.stb.gov.sg, they promote current events and work hard to keep the public informed of their efforts. The Singapore Tourism Board also advises the government about the economic impact of tourism. Through this close partnership with the government, areas that need to be improved upon can quickly be bought to the attention of relevant government authorities and action quickly taken. The Board also works with various civic and other private and business organizations to promote the tourist industry. This enables Singaporeans to work together to realize the importance of the tourist industry on their small city-sate and to actively join forces in its promotion. Conclusion and Recommendations Singapore is a society rich in culture and it works hard to maintain a clean, safe, comfortable, and enjoyable atmosphere for families to visit. Because of this, the tourist industry continues to see growth year over year. Because of the limited land present on the island and even more limited options for further growth in other industries, the country would be wise to maintain its focus on the tourist sector. To do so requires great economic and human capital in order to continue competing on a global scale. Assuming they are able to do that, the people of Singapore will likely continue to experience prosperity, and people around the world will have the opportunity to enjoy their time in a beautiful and well-maintained country that prides itself on its rich and long heritage. Works Cited Chang, T. “Local Uniqueness in the Global Village: Heritage Tourism in Singapore.” Professional Geographer, 51.1 (1999): 91-103. Cheong, W., & Khem, G. “Strategies for Tourism in Singapore.” Long Range Planning, 21.4 (2008): 36-44. Henderson, J. “Planning, Changing Landscapes and Tourism in Singapore.” Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 13.2(2005): 123-135. Henderson, J., Chee, L., Mun, C., & Lee, C. “Shopping, Tourism, and Retailing in Singapore. Managing Leisure, 16.1 (2011): 36-48. Heng, T., & Low, L. “Economic Impact of Tourism in Singapore.” Annals of Tourism Research, 36.2 (2009): 246-269. Lin, T., Leong, K., & Wei, Y. “The Contribution of Tourism to the Singapore Economy.” Singapore Ministry of Trade and Industry, 1.1 (2011): 71-79. Meng, X., Siriwardana, M., & Pham, T. “A CGE Assessment of Singapore’s Tourism Policies.” Tourism Management, 34.2 (2013): 25. Phuka, V., Berkowitz, D., & Gagermeier, M. “Promoting Multicultural Tourism in Singapore.” Annals of Tourism Research, 39.2 (2012): 1255. Read More