Planning for Tourism: Creating a Vibrant Singapore A common misconception is that tourism policy primarily focuses on promotion and marketing campaigns. While these activities are essential, another important but STUDIES URBAN SYSTEMS sometimes overlooked aspect is how creative city planning can support tourism promotion, and consequently, how the needs and goals of tourism policy can influence development and planning decisions. In Singapore, tourism has shaped the built environment, influenced conservation and heritage policies, and enhanced quality of life for Singapore’s residents. The industry has also helped to anchor Singapore’s global reputation and attractiveness as a place to conduct business, study and live. a Vibrant Singapore Planning for Tourism: Creating This book will examine how Singapore’s tourism strategies Planning and city planning support each other. It should be noted that even though the Singapore Tourism Board does for Tourism: not typically own the tourism assets in Singapore, it nonetheless plays an integral part in aligning government agencies, private firms and civil society to Singapore’s Creating long-term tourism plans. a Vibrant “ No one ever dreamed tiny Singapore could accommodate millions of tourists. Yet, we made it happen. Singapore We did not build castles in the sky. Based on calibrated decisions, made hand in hand with the urban planners with inputs from private sector developers, we built what we needed. The pages of this book share how it all happened.” Pamelia Lee, Former Senior Consultant to the Singapore Tourism Board 9 7 8 9 8 1 0 9 6 8 9 5 3 Planning for Tourism: Creating a Vibrant Singapore Urban Systems Studies (USS) Books Financing a City: Developing Foundations for Sustainable Growth Land Acquisition and Resettlement: Securing Resources for Development Built by Singapore: From Slums to a Sustainable Living Environment Cleaning a Nation: Cultivating a Healthy Living Environment For product information, visit http://www.clc.gov.sg/Publications/USS2014.htm Singapore Urban Systems Studies Booklet Series Water: From Scarce Resource to National Asset Transport: Overcoming Constraints, Sustaining Mobility Industrial Infrastructure: Growing in Tandem with the Economy Sustainable Environment: Balancing Growth with the Environment Housing: Turning Squatters into Stakeholders Biodiversity: Nature Conservation in the Greening of Singapore For product information, visit http://www.clc.gov.sg/Publications/USS2013.htm Liveable and Sustainable Cities: A Framework Planning for Tourism: For product information, visit http://www.clc.gov.sg/Publications/booksandreports.htm Creating a Vibrant Singapore First Edition, Singapore, 2015 Editorial Team Chief Editor: Khoo Teng Chye, Executive Director, Centre for Liveable Cities CONTENTS Project Leader: Hee Limin, Director, Centre for Liveable Cities Assistant Project Leader: Nicole Chew, Manager, Centre for Liveable Cities List of Illustrations vii Research Advisor: Lim Neo Chian, Fellow, Centre for Liveable Cities List of Appendices ix Research Supervisor: Adeline Lim, Deputy Director, Centre for Liveable Cities Editor: Wu Wei Neng, Senior Assistant Director, Centre for Liveable Cities Foreword xi Researcher: Cheong Kay Teck, Manager, Centre for Liveable Cities Preface xiii Acknowledgements xv © 2015 Centre for Liveable Cities (CLC), Singapore. All rights reserved. The CLC Liveability Framework xvi CLC is a division of Overview Context of the Tourism Industry Then and Now 1 Colonial Legacy as a Free Port of Call 3 Set up in 2008 by the Ministry of National Development and the Ministry of the Environment Chapter 1 Early Tourism Capability Development (1960s–1970s) 9 and Water Resources, the Centre for Liveable Cities (CLC) has as its mission “to distil, create and share knowledge on liveable and sustainable cities”. CLC’s work spans three main areas— • Formation of the Singapore Tourist Promotion Board 11 Research, Capability Development and Knowledge Platforms. Through these activities, CLC • Making the Most of the British Legacy 16 hopes to provide urban leaders and practitioners with the knowledge and support needed to • Tourism Development: An Economic Response make our cities better. www.clc.gov.sg to the British Withdrawal 18 Research Advisors for the Centre for Liveable Cities’ Urban Systems Studies are experts who A Watering Hole for the People: have generously provided their guidance and advice. However, they are not responsible for any Singapore Zoological Gardens remaining errors or omissions, which remain the responsibility of the author(s) and CLC. • Transport Infrastructure to Support Tourism Promotion: Changi Airport 22 • Tourism Promotion Infrastructure: Hotels, For publication information, please contact Urban Renewal & Private Sector Investments 25 Nicole Chew • Developing the Local Souvenir Industry: +65 66459628 The Merlion and the Singapore Handicraft Centre 28 Centre for Liveable Cities 45 Maxwell Road #07-01 • Growing the Business Aspect of Tourism: The URA Centre Singapore Convention Bureau (SCB) 31 Singapore 069118 • Laying the Foundation for Tourism Development 32 [email protected] Chapter 2 Expanding and Enhancing Tourism Infrastructure ISBN 978-981-09-6895-3 (print) (1980s–1990s) 35 ISBN 978-981-09-6896-0 (e-version) • Recovering from the Tourism Slump of the 1980s 40 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by A Singaporean Theme Park: Haw Par Villa any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior Inspiring Local Conservation: Tanjong Pagar written permission of the publisher. • Tourism Product Development Plan: Every effort has been made to trace all sources and copyright holders of news articles, figures and information in The First Tourism Master Plan 48 this book before publication. If any have been inadvertently overlooked, CLC will ensure that full credit is given at the earliest opportunity. • Tourism as a Catalyst for Heritage Conservation 49 • Conservation and Revitalisation of Historical Areas 51 Cover photo: The Merlion at the mouth of the Singapore River, with the Fullerton Hotel and the Central Business District in the Ebb and Flow of an Economic Artery: The Singapore River background. Photo courtesy of Redbean De Pte Ltd. • Heritage Development and Lighting up the City 56 • Perfecting the Jewel 57 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS Lighting Up the City: Orchard Road and the Civic District • Tourism 21 Master Plan 62 Diagrams page A Software Blueprint: The Chinatown Experience • The CLC Liveability Framework xvi Guide Plan (EGP) Exhibits Chapter 3 Seeking Distinction as a City (From the 1990s) 67 • Exhibit 1: Significant Tourism Developments and Total Visitor • Becoming a Global City 69 Arrivals from 1964–1980 12 • Growing Economic Volatility and the Revitalisation • Exhibit 2: Significant Tourism Developments and Total Visitor of the Tourism Industry 71 Arrivals from 1980–2000 38 Rejuvenation of a Shopping Corridor: Orchard Road • Exhibit 3: Significant Tourism Developments and Total Visitor • The Integrated Resorts 81 Arrivals from 2000–2012 72 A MICE Hub and Resort in the City Centre: Marina Bay Sands Photos • Singapore was covered in swamp lands in the 50s and Evolution of a Leisure Island: Sentosa early 60s 2 • The Formula One Singapore Grand Prix 89 • S. Rajaratnam, Paul G. Peralta, Bhagwan Melwani and The Long Road to the Singapore Formula One Race Run Run Shaw met to discuss the formation of Singapore • Lessons and Future Directions 94 Tourist Association 5 • Singapore cityscape 6 Endnotes 103 • Dr Goh Keng Swee at the opening of the Bibliography 115 Tourist Promotion Board Office 11 Appendix A Governance Tools for Tourism Infrastructure • Dr Goh Keng Swee at the opening of the Jurong Bird and Development 123 Park in 1971 18 Appendix B Singapore Nation Branding 125 • The Singapore Zoological Gardens 21 • Changi Airport in 1986 22 • The original Merlion, built in 1972 29 • The Raffles Landing Site in 1990 33 • The annual Thaipusam festival 37 • An aerial perspective of Chinatown-Kreta Ayer 42 • Pagoda Street today 43 • Haw Par Villa in the 1970s 45 • Shophouses along Neil Road in the Tanjong Pagar area 47 • The Sultan Mosque in Kampong Glam 51 • Marina Barrage 54 • The annual Christmas light-up along Orchard Road 58 • The General Post Office at Fullerton Square 62 • The Fullerton Hotel 63 • The revamped Chinatown Street Market 65 • Gardens by the Bay 74 • The Sentosa Causeway 86 • The Singapore F1 Night Race in 2013 89 • Race cars at the 1966 Singapore Grand Prix 91 LIST OF APPENDICES Appendix A Governance Tools for Tourism Infrastructure and Development 123 Appendix B Singapore Nation Branding 125 FOREWORD In the early 1960s, Singapore was ill-prepared to tap the tourism sector for economic growth. We had few tourism offerings and both our tourism infrastructure and industry were under-developed. With growing prospects arising from introduction of mass commercial aviation and growing curiosity in an exotic region, the Singapore Tourist Promotion Board (STPB) was formed in 1964 to realise tourism’s economic promise. Working together with like-minded stakeholders in government and industry, tourism in Singapore began to take shape with more products and services to entice the visitor. In 1997, the STPB was renamed the Singapore Tourism Board, to better reflect the larger mandate that had by then moved beyond marketing and promotions, to encompass other functions such as sectoral