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searching
for singapore's soul
a role for ubin?
Is Singapore
still special to tourists?
Here's a thought-provoking article. by Prithpal Singh Today, 27 Jan 05 Hitting the tourism targets will be a daunting task. Let's be realistic. Is there something truly unique about Singapore compared with New York, Los Angeles and Sydney which are more multiracial and more cosmopolitan than our island state? Would more visitors head for our shores when themed attractions and casinos are built all around Singapore? Can we hope to attract another 8.5 million visitors? Undoubtedly, we can create new attractions and upgrade existing amenities, but the biggest challenge will be to get every Singaporean to truly embrace tourism and get into the hospitality mode, the way the people of Hawaii have done, for example. It's ironic that the same things that are cherished by the host population are also those things that visitors enjoy -— the intangible aspects of a place such as its history, its cultural experiences and expressions, community, societal behaviours, smells, sounds, colours, all amalgamating into a pulsating entity. We need to create a model to cater for the aspirations of the tourist visitor, as well as the local population, in relation to destination Singapore. Such a model will have to include what can only be called the soul of Singapore, which has vanished and visitors can sense that. read the full report discuss the issue on the focus ubin forum Links travellers' view of Ubin as an antidote to sterile Singapore: From these excerpts, it appears that Pulau Ubin is a delightful surprise to some visitors. And that it softens Singapore's image as a sterile destination no different from other major cities. |