S'pore set for challenges of 21st century tourism<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Singapore does not allow itself to be
\nconstrained by its severely-limited space, natural resources and
\nlabor.<\/p>\n
The island republic therefore always not only tries to be
\nseveral steps ahead of its competitors but also moves to
\ntransform its challenges and competition into opportunity.<\/p>\n
This is the main thrust of Tourism 21, the blue print of the
\nSingapore Tourist Promotion Board (STPB), as explained yesterday
\nby Tan Chin Nam, the board's chief executive.<\/p>\n
"We have been successful as a destination but we are moving
\nbeyond that," Tan told The Jakarta Post in reference to
\nSingapore's vision for tourism which was launched this year to
\nmeet the challenges of the 21st century.<\/p>\n
The aim of the vision is to strengthen the competitiveness of
\nSingapore's tourist industry, and to maintain high growth rates
\nfor visitor arrivals and tourism receipts.<\/p>\n
"Tourism 21 is designed not only to further enhance
\nSingapore's role as a tourist destination but also as a tourism
\nhub for the region and a world tourism business center," said
\nTan, who was here to attend the Indonesian Tourism Mart.<\/p>\n
Singapore, Tan said, is working to create a totally new
\nexperience for visitors by further capitalizing on its
\nprogressiveness, sophistication and unique multicultural Asian
\nidentity.<\/p>\n
He said the New Asia-Singapore theme, chosen to replace
\nSurprising Singapore, would better suit the expression of modern
\nAsian dynamism in the 21st century.<\/p>\n
"This new branding better embodies the sentiment of a place
\nwhere tradition and modernity and East and West meet," Tan noted.<\/p>\n
Singapore -- a small island which stretches 27 kilometers from
\nnorth to south and 37 kilometers from east to west -- seems fully
\naware of its natural limitations and the keen competition from
\nother destinations in Asia.<\/p>\n
Singaporeans are already among the world's richest, with a per
\ncapita income of more than US$26,000. And as they become
\nwealthier, the tiny island will become increasingly expensive for
\nvisitors and shoppers.<\/p>\n
Its image as a shopping mecca -- its second largest attraction
\n-- is being eroded because of rising labor costs, high retail
\nrentals and a strengthening currency. It will lose out to other
\ndestinations, unless the foundations of its tourism industry
\ndeepen and broaden.<\/p>\n
In fact, its limitations and the keener competition from other
\ndestinations are beginning to be reflected in the declining
\ngrowth rate of visitor arrivals, shorter lengths of stay and
\nconsequently smaller expenditures.<\/p>\n
True, Singapore is still among the world's top destinations
\nwith 7.1 million arrivals and over US$8.1 billion in tourism
\nreceipts last year. And the first eight months of this year saw a
\n2.4 percent growth rate in tourist arrivals, with 4.87 million
\nvisitors, over the same period last year.<\/p>\n
Indonesia remained the second largest source of tourists to
\nSingapore with 695,701 people, or 14.3 percent of total arrivals,
\ngoing to Singapore in the eight-month period.<\/p>\n
But the growth rate is declining. STPB figures show that the
\nannual growth in visitor arrivals declined to 3.5 percent last
\nyear from annual double-digit increases in the 1980s.<\/p>\n
The Tourism 21 concept describes its underlying strategy as
\n'tourism unlimited': To develop the three tourist functions of
\nSingapore: as a better tourist destination, a tourism hub and a
\nworld tourism business center.<\/p>\n
The concept of tourism unlimited calls for Singapore's active
\nparticipation in the development of tourism in the region through
\nmutually-beneficial partnerships.<\/p>\n
Huge investments by Singapore's state and private companies in
\nIndonesia's Bintan and Batam islands, Vietnam and Myanmar should
\nbe seen in light of its strategy to transform competition into
\nbusiness opportunities.<\/p>\n
The rationale of the concept, according to the STPB, is that
\nas the attractiveness of each destination in the region is
\nintegrated. collective attractiveness is achieved. Together the
\nvarious destinations in the region can develop a stronger and
\nmore attractive tourism product.<\/p>\n
Tan cited the blending of Singapore's city-sophistication with
\nIndonesia's rustic beach charm in the nearby Riau archipelago as
\none example of how collective attractiveness could be developed
\nfor mutual benefit.<\/p>\n
"Indonesia-Singapore cooperation in tourism development has
\nbeen very good under the framework cooperation agreement signed
\nin 1994. We now have direct flight services to five destinations
\nin Indonesia in addition to Jakarta (Solo, Manado, Lombok,
\nUjungpandang and Padang)," Tan said.<\/p>\n
Partnerships with its neighboring destinations enable
\nSingapore to offer package holidays to include fishing, resort
\nliving, sailing, cruising, hunting, mountain climbing and golf.<\/p>\n
"We want to make Singapore the main gateway to new experiences
\nin other destinations in the Asia- Pacific, the region which is
\nvery vibrant in the tourism industry," Tan said.<\/p>\n
Singapore, already popular as a regional headquarters for
\nmultinational companies, will concentrate more on the business
\nside of tourism through product innovation and the promotion of
\ntourism-related investment.<\/p>\n
"We will attract more tourism-related businesses to Singapore,
\nusing Singapore as a testing ground for new ideas, new business
\nsuccesses."<\/p>\n
Tan's rationale is that tourism is cross-sectoral. Hence,
\nthere are many opportunities in Singapore for hotel management,
\nentertainment and transportation companies and other travel-
\nrelated businesses.<\/p>\n
The city state is also reformulating its tourism products to
\nextend the average length of stay of visitors and to attract
\nreturn visits.<\/p>\n
Among the programs cited by Tan are the development of more
\nthematic zones with distinct identities and a richer variety of
\nevents to help package Singapore and neighboring destinations in
\ntour programs.<\/p>\n
"We will integrate the hardware (physical infrastructure) and
\nsoftware to create a total experience. In China town, for
\nexample, we want to inject the soul, history and heritage to the
\nexperiences of the visitors. In Orchard Road, we will invest more
\nto enrich shopping experiences, making them more enjoyable."<\/p>\n
Tan is confident that its strategic location and excellent
\ninfrastructure, combined with all the programs underway and to be
\nimplemented under the Tourism 21 vision, will improve Singapore's
\nstanding in tourism.<\/p>\n
Singapore, he said, is looking forward to a big share of the
\nvisitor arrivals in the Asia and Pacific region which, according
\nto a projection from the World Tourism Organization, will more
\nthan double from 84 million in 1995 to 190 million in 2010.<\/p>\n
Tourism 21 is designed to achieve Singapore's target of 10
\nmillion visitors and $11.5 billion in tourist revenue in the year
\n2000.<\/p>\n
"We will invest a total of $600 million in the Tourism 21
\ndevelopment programs within the next 5-10 years, not including
\nwhat is to be spent by the private sector," Tan added. (vin)<\/p>",
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