The Singapore Experience continues to evolve, thanks to partnerships and new attractions such as the Marina Barrage and the Peranakan Museum.
The Singapore Tourism Board’s (STB) Electronic Annual Report 2008/2009, titled “Seizing Opportunities: Building Our Future”, is now available online, and it highlights how partnerships have added to the Singapore Experience.
In it, Ms Aw Kah Peng, Chief Executive, STB, said she has been greatly encouraged by the close collaboration between STB and tourism industry players. “It is through such partnerships that we were able to develop and implement bold initiatives to grow the sector. There is no better testament to the strength of the relationship we have built with the industry partners than in the vibrant tourism environment that we have today.”
Nowhere was the theme of partnerships more apparent than in Singapore’s FORMULA ONE night race, both this year’s and last year’s, where it was partnerships at every level that made the race run like clockwork.
Ms Aw added that brand equity is built on the strength of the Singapore Experience. “The world’s first FORMULA ONE night race through our downtown district literally presented Singapore in a new light to more than 110 million television viewers worldwide.”
In his message, Chairman of the STB, Mr Simon Israel, said it was important to keep enhancing the Singapore Experience and provide visitors with an “enriching, multifarious” experience.
Successful partnerships and projects
STB’s annual report cites some “firsts” which have added to Singapore’s evolving tourism landscape – among them the Singapore Flyer, the iconic waterfront observation wheel, the Marina Barrage, Singapore’s first reservoir in the city; HortPark, a 23-hectare ‘super park’ offering various recreational options; and the Peranakan Museum, the world’s first comprehensive display of Peranakan culture.
Partnerships with these new attractions have been a cornerstone of STB’s activities in ensuring a deeper Singapore Experience.
Marina Barrage
Marina Barrage is seeing an increasing stream of visitors as word gets out about this engineering and architectural marvel in downtown Singapore. It serves three benefits: boosting Singapore's water supply, alleviate flooding in the low-lying city areas, and providing a hot spot for recreational activities.
Designed to connect people with water, it has seen more than 570,000 local and international visitors since its opening in November 2008.
“Besides the casual foreign visitor, we have had the opportunity to welcome many local and foreign dignitaries such as our Singapore President S R Nathan, the Costa Rican President and 1987 Nobel Peace Laureate HE Dr Oscar Arias and Her Royal Highness, Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn of Thailand, and share with them Singapore's Water Story and our efforts toward sustainable environmental development,” said Mr Yap Kheng Guan, PUB's Director of 3P Network.
Highlights of a visit to the Marina Barrage include the Sustainable Singapore Gallery, Marina Bridge and Green Roof. Marina Barrage has also hosted events such as this year's Singapore Art Festival Opening performance, the Singapore International Water Festival, and the Singapore International Water Week Dinner by the Bay.
Mr Yap said STB has also helped to promote the Marina Barrage by facilitating visits and promoting it as a venue for movie and fashion shoots. “We work closely with them to bring local and international events to this icon at the heart of the city. This has helped to increase visitorship to Marina Barrage.”
The Peranakan Museum
STB has also worked with other organisations such as The Peranakan Museum. Ms Barbara Fras, Manager, Programmes cum Education, said, “Like many cultural institutions in Singapore, we rely on STB to help promote the arts and heritage scene of Singapore to prospective overseas visitors, given our limited budgets and other logistical constraints.”
She said that since its opening, STB has been very supportive of marketing efforts and has channelled international media to its doorstep. Recently, it partnered with STB on the Singapore Food Festival 2009, which had a Peranakan theme.
The Peranakan Museum, which opened in April 2008, has welcomed more than 314,000 visitors, 50 per cent of whom were foreign visitors, as of June 2009.
Other ways it reaches out to visitors is through media coverage. At Changi Airport, it has installed three interactive “Symbolic Asia” displays which promote both the Peranakan Museum and the Asian Civilisations Museum, its sister museum.
Ms Fras added, “The key message visitors walk away with would be one of tolerance and a better understanding of Singapore history. Given their mixed ethnic origins, the Peranakans represent one of the earliest multicultural groups in the world and they demonstrate that culture is enriched by these different elements.”
Ms Fras said the museum would continue to expand and promote its permanent collection of Peranakan objects. “Likewise, we will organise special exhibitions so that visitors will be able to learn about other aspects of Asian and Peranakan culture.”
