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TOURISM
Tourism is travel for pleasure or business; also the theory and practice of touring,
the business of attracting, accommodating, and entertaining tourists, and the
business of operating tours.

Tourism, the act and process of spending time away

from home in pursuit of recreation, relaxation, and
pleasure, while making use of the commercial provision
of services. As such, tourism is a product of modern
social arrangements, beginning in western Europe in the
17th century, although it has antecedents in Classical
antiquity. It is distinguished from exploration in that
tourists follow a “beaten path,” benefit from established
systems of provision, and, as befits pleasure-seekers, are
generally insulated from difficulty, danger, and
embarrassment. Tourism, however, overlaps with other
activities, interests, and processes, including, for
example, pilgrimage. This gives rise to shared categories,
such as “business tourism,” “sports tourism,” and
“medical tourism” (international travel undertaken for
the purpose of receiving medical care).

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 1.      Who are the tourists?

Persons travelling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for more than 24
hours but not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes.

2.      How do tourist destinations differ from one another?

 Places of scenic beauty

 Places with good facilities
 Places with rich culture
 Places of conflicts

Places of scenic beauty:

 Mountain regions e.g Himalayas in South Asia
 Coastal resorts e.g Phuket in Thailand
 National parks. e.g. Grand Canyon, USA
 Honeypot tourism – tourism that attracts large number of tourists due to a site’s scenic
beauty e.g. Victoria Fall on Zambezi River at the boundary of Zimbabwe and Zambia in
Africa
Places with good facilities:

 MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conventions and Events) help to attract a substantial

number of tourists to an area. MICE locations have venues which can host large-scale
events such as meetings and conventions. There are also supporting infrastructure and
services such as hotels and retails shops. These attract organisers who organize trade
fairs and international conferences, which bring in more business travelers. Singapore
was the leading convention city in Asia-Pacific in from 2002 to 2012. Singapore
drew 3.2 million business travelers which accounted for 24% of all visitors to Singapore
in 2012. Singapore hosted important meeting such as the Annual Meetings of the
Boards of Governors of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank Group
in 2006, the Youth Olympic Games in 2010. Key factors that contribute to Singapore’s
success are its reputation as a major aviation hub, the availability of reliable
telecommunication networks and a variety of shopping and entertainment options
nearby. The Marina Bay Sands Expo and Convention Centre was voted Asia’s best
MICE Hotel in 2011 and 2012. 
 Medical and spa facilities –
o Medical tourism -to undergo medical procedure that would enhance or restore
health e.g. South Korea for cosmetic surgery
o Health tourism – to maintain, enhance or restore their minds and bodies such
as spa towns, thermal springs and mud pools. e.g. Dead Sea
 Theme Parks – amusement park settings or attractions with central theme such as
o Films e.g. Walt Disney World in Florida, USA
o Famous landmarks e.g. Window of the World in Shenzhen, China
o Fantasy and adventure e.g. Everland Resort in Yongin, South Korea
o History and heritage e.g. Upper Canada Village in Morrisburg, Ontario, Canada

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 o Education eg. Ocean Park in Hong Kong, China
o Health e.g. Nagashima Spa Land in Kuwana, Japan
o
 Places with rich culture
o Heritage tourism to experience different cultures and history of the place eg.
Angkor Wat, Cambodia, Forbidden City in Beijing, China.
o Film-induced tourism to see locations featured in films. For example, Lotte
World, Seoul, South Korea from the film Stairway to Heaven, Zhangjiajie National
Forest Park in China as the film Avatar feature scenery inspired by the park
o Gourmet food and shopping tourism e.g. Hong Kong
o Pilgrimage tourism for religious activity e.g. Mecca, Saudi Arabia for Muslims or
Jerusalem, Israel for Jews, Christians and Muslims, Vatican City for Catholics.
 Places of conflicts – dark tourism where people travel to sites associated with
death and tragedy.
o Military campaign eg. Củ Chi tunnels and Vịnh Mốc, Vietnam
o Natural disasters e.g. Ruins of Pompeii, Italy
o Terrorist attack e.g. Ground Zero in New York, USA
o Human atrocity – Nanjing Massacre Memorial Hall in Nanjing, China
o Genocide e.g. Tuoi Sleng Genocide Museum in Cambodia 

3.   What factors affect the nature of tourism?

Natural – type of landscapes, climate and weather

Human – cost of travelling, effectiveness of marketing, infrastructure

4.   What are the roles of different groups in promoting tourism ?

Different groups :

 Government
 Media (including Travel writers)
 International organisations

Government

 Influence the number of visitors and their length of stay

 Authorise air landings
 Allow building of facilities such as hotels

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  Planning, funding and building infrastructure projects linked to tourism
e.g airports, roads and ports
 Ensuring safety and security of tourist sites
 Set up agencies to promote tourism e.g. Singapore Tourism Board
 Encourage development of new attractions such as River Safari

Media

 Media reports influence decisions of tourists.

 Positive reports such as interesting culture or attractive scenery encourage tourists to
visit but negative reports such as incidence of violence, disasters and outbreaks of
disease can deter visitors.
 Tourists more aware of destinations they have previously not considered
 Travel writers evaluate the destination on accommodation, transport and food for their
readers
 Inspire readers to travel to destinations that reader may not have thought of before.

International organisation

 Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development(OECD) work with

governments, international organisations such as UNWTO and the International Labour
Organisation to promote tourism as a tool for national growth and job creation
 World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) works primarily with private organisations
including tourism organisations and academic community, as well as the government
to promote sustainable tourism development. It encourages countries to use tourism
to reduce poverty and create job and business.
 WHO – leading authority for health is capable of influencing global behaviour –e.g.
situation updates and health advisories on avian influenza H5N1 from 2003 to 2013.
Discourage visitors to at-risk countries.

5. In what ways is tourism changing?

 People can and want to travel farther to destinations that were once considered
unreachable
 Nature and purpose of tourist travel has evolved e.g. package for ecotourism and
medical tourism

International tourism
 More than half of all international tourists originate from developed countries in Europe
and North America.
 Increasing number of international tourists from rapidly developing countries in Asia
Pacific and South America e.g. China, India and Brazil.

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  Europe received the highest number of international tourist arrivals in 2011
 Out of 10 top most popular tourist destinations, 6 are found in Europe.
 Asia Pacific region has increased in popularity as a tourist destination.
Domestic tourism
 83% of all tourist arrivals were domestic tourism and 69% of all overnight stays in hotels
are from domestic tourism worldwide in 2010
 Domestic tourism receipts of US$22.9 billion are higher than international tourism
receipts of US$3.2 billion in the Philippines, 2010. 53% travelled for vacation 36%
travelled to visit family or relatives
Evolution of mass tourism to niche tourism
 Mass tourism involves large numbers of tourists visiting a particular place
together.
 Package holidays involve a tour usually arranged by a travel agent, with transportation,
accommodation and most meals with the service of guides.
 Niche tourism refers to special-interest tourism based on a particular area, interest or
activity by independent travelers or combined with package tours. e.g. whale watching in
Hawaii or whitewater rafting and bunjee jumps in New Zealand.
Ecotourism     

 A form of niche tourism

 Responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the environment and improves
the well-being of local people.
 Help travelers better appreciate natural beauty and biodiversity
 Provide funds for ecological conservation
 Enable tourism to benefit local communities involved in tourism directly
 Foster respect for different cultures and lifestyles
 Example- tour to Waitomo Caves in New Zealand managed by government with local
Maori to minimize human impact on its internal environment. Tour operations are closely
monitored and are halted if CO² level reach 2400 parts per million as CO² become
corrosive to the caves. The Maori benefited from the income from the entrance fees as
well employment as the cave staff.
 Short-haul and long-haul destinations

 Short-haul destinations refer to destinations that are a short distance away from the
tourist’s home country reachable in less than 6 hours e.g. Hong Kong is a short-haul
destination from Singapore
 Long-haul destinations refer to destinations that are a long distance away from the
tourist’s home country reachable by a flight in 6 hours or more e.g. Europe is a long-
haul destination from Singapore
 
5. What are the reasons for the growth of global tourism?

 Developments in technology
 Demand factors

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  Destination factors

Developments in technology
 Better and affordable transport – shorter travel time and cheaper travelling cost e.g. In
the 1950s a commercial flight from Singapore to London would take 2 to 3 days with
many stopovers at different cities compared to the present 14 hours
 Increase in budget airlines helped to increase number of international travelers
o Enabled people to travel internationally and more frequently
o Opportunity to go on holidays further away from home
o Enabled travel to destinations not covered by major commercial airlines e.g.
Bhutan, the Pacific Islands, Northern Thailand
 
 More air routes and agreements
o Open skies agreement made between governments remove restrictions on
commercial flights between their respective countries to allow commercial airlines
to decide the routes, capacity and price of their flights without interference from
the government. This helped the growth of aircraft routes and flights as well
as number of commercial airline companies and budget airlines. The competition
has helped reduce the prices of flights for passengers.
o Deregulation allows fares to rise and fall according to market demand and
competition between various airline companies.
 Ease of access to information
o Online booking and research to find out more about their destinations.
o Surveillance, electronic checks and other safety control research which makes
tourists feel safer and more confident about travelling.
Demand factors
 Increase in disposable income due to economic growth has allowed people to spend
more on goods and services including travelling e.g. China
 Increased availability of leisure time due to shorter working weeks, more public
holidays and more paid annual leave has allowed more people to travel.
 Changing lifestyle –travelling becomes a way for people to relax and take a break from
their fast-paced lifestyles at work and at home. Due to advances in medical technology
and knowledge, people are now more health-conscious and lead healthier lifestyles.
People live longer and are more physically fit to travel frequently. E.g. Grey nomads in
Australia. 
Destination factors
 Attractions
o Natural attractions such as place of scenic beauty
o Built attractions such as medical services, educational facilities and theme
parks. Dubai, United Arab Emirates in the middle East has a wide range of retail
and luxury outlets, world class MICE facilities, luxury hotels and large-scale
architectural and engineering projects
 
 Investment in infrastructure and services

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 o Airport expansion and development e.g. Singapore’s Changi Airport’s Budget
Terminal closed in 2012 to make way for a new Terminal 4 which will increase
the airport’s total capacity for passengers
o Sufficient hotels to serve a range of tourist budgets, from five-star hotels to
backpacker hostels. e.g. HK will add another 49 hotels to its 189 operating ones
from 2012 to 2016
o Services for tourist sites such as food outlets, entertainment facilities and
telecommunication links such as free Wi-Fi in hotels. Trained personnel for
tourist sites such as hotel managers, restaurateurs, guides, travel agents,
drivers, porters and cleaners are also needed.
o Offer tertiary and diploma courses on tourism, hotel management and
catering to meet the demand for formal training for people in the tourism
industry.
 Access to information
o Tourists are more likely to visit a destination when travel-related
information such as transport routes, schedules, weather conditions,
accommodation is easily obtained.
o Signs at many tourist destinations displayed in different languages help provide
security and comfort to visitors.
o Local tour guides and travel agents trained to answer questions and meet the
needs of tourists.
6.  What are the events which hinder the growth of tourism?

 Disasters

 Regional and global recessions

 Unfavourable political situations

 Outbreaks of diseases 

Impact of disasters e.g. 2011 Japan Tohoku earthquake and tsunamis decreased tourist
arrivals by 28%, Japanese travelling to South Korea also fell by 12%
Regional and global recessions
 Many people experience a loss of income or jobs in recession so they cut back on
spending and are less likely to travel overseas in a recession.
 Regional recession such as the European Sovereign Debt Crisis caused by Greece
unable to pay its government debts in 2010.
 Global recession such as the global financial crisis when some of the world’s largest
financial firms went bankrupt in 2007 and 2008 resulting in the crash of the housing
market in the USA. It affected many countries in different parts of the world, causing their
economies to slow down or shrink.

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  Domestic travel increased as people choose to go for holidays in their own country
rather than travel abroad during recession because they spend less on transport.
 
Unfavourable political situation
 Political conflicts which may results in war pose dangers to tourists so they may
postpone or cancel their travel plans. Services are disrupted and infrastructure is
damaged in political conflicts.
 Government may also issue travel advisories to discourage citizens from travelling to a
particular region or country due to the dangers of conflicts.
 In February 2011, the Arab Spring uprising took place in Egypt so international
tourist arrivals declined sharply.
Outbreak of diseases
 Drop in tourist arrivals as they do not want to risk getting infected with a contagious
disease such as SARS outbreak in 2003. By the end of 2003, the number of
international tourist arrivals in Singapore declined by 19%.
 Government may also advise travelers to avoid areas with disease outbreaks.

7. What are the impacts of tourism?

 Economic impact
 Socio-cultural
 Environmental

Economic impacts

Advantages
 Employment opportunities – The growth of tourism led to increase in the number of
tourism-related jobs e.g. workers in hotels, transport vehicles, souvenir shops and
tour agencies. There are also jobs indirectly linked to the tourist industry when tourists
travel and consume goods e.g. taxi drivers and shop owners.
 Growth in income for individuals and for a country. Fishermen on Pamilacan Island in
the Philippines are paid to bring tourists on their boats to look for and swim with whale
sharks and dolphins. The tour companies which hire the fishermen will experience an
increase in revenue. There will also be an increase in revenue for the country
through taxes collected from the fishermen and tour companies. 
 Increase in government revenues. Directly from taxes on tourists e.g. airport tax
and from income taxes on employees of tourism-related businesses. Indirectly from
taxes placed on goods and services which are supplied to tourists e.g.
manufactured goods such as petrol used in rented cars.
 Development of infrastructure such as transport and communication networks,
electrical frameworks and systems for water and waste disposal as well as facilities
such as airports, roads, electricity and hotels help to develop tourism. Roads that link
airports, cities and tourist sites allow tourists access to local attractions. They also allow
local people better access to more markets, health care, education and jobs.

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 Thus, infrastructure built to enhance tourism also benefits the locals. E.g
Underground rail systems expanded to cater to increased numbers of visitors during the
Olympic Games in Athens 2004 and in Beijing 2008. Both rail systems continue to serve
local populations and tourist even after the Games. It also creates employment for
local such as workers in the construction process as well as help to boast local
industries which provided materials in the construction. The increased spending in
the local economy encourages economic growth.
Disadvantages
 Leakage of tourism receipts to other countries, especially in LDCs. The revenue
earned from tourism is paid to other countries for the import of goods and
services needed to meet the needs of tourists. This includes payment to international
airline tickets, imported food, foreign-owned hotels or prepaid tours booked
internationally.
 Seasonal unemployment – Some countries experiences seasonal unemployment e.g.
some tourist activities which depend on climatic conditions. Ski resorts in the Alps
experience a drop of tourists during summer as skiing is carried out in winter. As a
result, the people have to find other sources of income when employment in the tourism
industry is temporarily unavailable. Increase in summer visits in European Union is due
to the warm weather which allows swimming on the beach or hiking.
 Underuse of facilities e.g. facilities built specifically for certain events may be
underused when the event is over. The facilities can be costly to maintain and may
become neglected when there are few tourists. E.g. venues built for 2008 summer
Olympic Games in Beijing China had to be renovated to become more profitable e.g.
Beijing National Aquatics Centre renovated into a water park. 
 Shortage of services eg. Water supplies or power is required by tourist infrastructure
and could lead to a shortage of service in non-tourist areas.
 
 Socio-cultural impacts

Advantages
 Preservation of culture and local customs. Historical and cultural sites are
preserved and restored to make the place more attractive to tourists. This benefits
the local population by enhancing their sense of history and by building a sense of
belong to their community. Revenues generated from tourism can also fund the
preservation and restoration of cultural heritage. Entry fees to the Great Pyramids of
Giza in Egypt or the Angkor Wat complex in Siem Reap, Cambodia can be used directly
to help fund conservation efforts.
Disadvantages
 Dilution of local customs and heritage- Commercial activities that cater mainly to
tourists such as food outlets, travel agencies, souvenir shops and hotels, can become
the major commercial activities of an area. This can force the locals to relocate their
original activities to other places. As a result, the identity of a place may be lost. To meet
the demands and expectations of tourists, local cultural festivals and religious
rituals are sometimes modified. For example rituals may be shortened to fit into the
itinerary of the tourists. So the authenticity and significance of these cultural events may
be reduced when they become commercialized.
 Increased crime – high crime levels may occur at popular tourist sites. Some tourists
carry valuable goods as watches, cameras and clothes and may be vulnerable

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 to muggings. In addition, tourists are prone to being cheated or scammed in tourist
areas where goods or services are sold at greatly inflated prices.
Environmental impacts 

Advantages

 Conservation – revenue from entrance fees to national parks and diving sites, or even
levies on nearby accommodations can be used to fund conservation of coral reefs,
rainforests and mountainous areas. For example the Sepilok Orang-Utan Rehabilitation
Centre in Sabah, Malaysia help to rehabilitate orang-utans that have been orphaned or
injured by using the visitor entry fees to partly pay its staff. In Kenya, the money raised
from wildlife tourism becomes a way to continue to preserve the animals and their
habitats.

Disadvantages

 Increased congestion - large number of tourists can cause overcrowding in areas

close to popular attractions. Tourist shops and accommodations cluster nearby making it
even more congested. This results in vehicular and pedestrian traffic to become
congested. The huge inflow of cars and buses can contribute to air pollution.
 Vandalism – cultural, historical or natural sites may be vandalized by individuals or
developers, e.g the stones and bricks of the Great Wall of China are covered with graffiti.
 Pollution and littering – the waste left behind by tourists can lead to environmental
degradation e.g. Harbours, marinas and oceans are polluted by tourists throwing plastic
bottles, food packaging and old batteries overboard from cruise ships.
  Destruction of habitat – when too many tourists visit a destination, they may destroy
habitats and wildlife. Careless tourists may trample on plants while others may collect
eggs and features of birds as souvenirs. Tourists may also make too much noise which
can disturb and frighten off animals. E.g. the habitat of coral reefs and exotic fish at the
Egypt’s Red Sea coast are damaged by tourists collecting shells or corals as souvenirs
as well as the dumping of waste and sewage into the sea by hotels and restaurants
nearby.
 Increased carbon footprint – greenhouse gas emissions by activities that involve the
use of fossil fuels such as when tourists travel by planes, tour buses and electricity
consumption by hotels.

8. How are the impacts of tourism managed?

Conservation and sustainable tourism
 Conservation is the careful management and use of resources such that these
resources would not be destroyed. Fragile environments which are environments that
are easily affected by change include mangroves and coral reefs.
 Sustainable tourism is a form of tourism organized in a way that allows it to
continue without causing damage to the environment or without leaving negative
impacts on the surrounding society and culture.
 Sustainable tourism also involves minimizing leakages from tourist revenues using
the following strategies:

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 o Training locals to perform skilled tourism jobs, such as management and
marketing
o Developing homestay accommodation where visitors can pay local people
directly for their accommodation
o Promoting local food and drink in restaurants to provide a market for local
food producers and distributors.
 United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) provides
funding to threatened sites to conserve them – e.g. Angkor Wat, Borobudur Temple
Tensions in managing the impacts of tourism
 Between tourists and locals
o Tourists who wear skimpy clothing may cause locals in a conservative country to
feel uncomfortable
o Congestions at tourist sites makes it difficult for locals to conduct their daily
business
o Large number of hotels, resorts, convention centres and other facilities potentially
deprive locals of their water supply.
o Locals expect tourists to respect local customs and values, which tourists
sometimes fail to do so e.g. tourists display affection in public
 Between tourists and the environments
o Tourist inflow may contribute to the damage of the attraction
o Erosion of the Inca trail as well as littering along the trail by tourists
o Use of helicopters disturbs the area’s indigenous animal and plant species.
o Damage of land and artefacts at Machu Picchu historical site.
 Measures for managing the tension
o Limiting the number of visitors at a site to minimize congestion and
degradation.
o With-hold tourism-related projects that could harm the environment,
including landscape and the flora and fauna
o Employ staff to maintain and repair a site and prevent tourists from tampering
with it.
o Hold discussions with locals regarding their needs and concerns
o Restrict tourists from some areas which only locals can enter.
Responsibilities of various groups in conserving and protecting tourist areas 
 Local communities can help to conserve and protect tourist areas as well as benefit
economically from tourism.
o Community-based tourism e.g. Candirejo Village near Borobudur in Central
Java, Indonesia. With support from the government, the villagers set up a
cooperative in 2003 to manage and implement the community’s tourism-related
programmes. These include homestay accommodations, developing organics
farms, organizing local transport, training of villagers to produce handicrafts, to
provide catering and to work as tour guides. 
o Strengths– Involve locals in decision making with regards to tourism
management strategies to be carried out and increase in tourism related
employment and business for the local e.g. for Candirejo the village had 22
homestays, 22 andongs (horse-drawn carts) and six local restaurants by 2004

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 and this created 63 new jobs, five new businesses and 12.5% increase in
average income per villager from 2001 to 2003.
o Limitations – difficulty in obtaining external funding in setting up business or
investing in vehicles to facilitate tourism in their area. There may not have
enough skilled labour such as managers or consultants.
 Visitors need to respect the environment and local population of the place they are
visiting.
o Tourists selecting holiday destinations based on the conservation efforts of the
place. They want to minimize their carbon footprint by considering the amount of
water used and the amount of waste recycled at these destination
o Strengths – visitors’ spending can provide funds to help conserve environment,
preserve culture or maintain a tourist attractions. Their spending can also provide
locals with income from employment and business. They can also raise
awareness about the destination at home by sharing their experience.
o Limitations – visitors may damage a tourist attraction e.g. by vandalism and
littering. They might also cause local culture and customs to be diluted.

 Tour operators may belong to associations that are concerned with conserving and
protecting environments visited by tourists. For example Phuket Alternative Tours
(PAT) commits its member tour operators to operate in an environmentally
sustainable way to enhance the natural environment and to create awareness
about environmental conservation for visitors to Phuket.
o Strength – valuable feedback from tour guides used by local communities and
planning authorities to plan tourism management strategies as well as help to
regulate tourist behavior.
o Limitation – the need to generate profits can sometimes led to tour operators
into conflict with other stakeholders and may also override concerns to preserve
the environment when the concerns would reduce their profits.
 Non-governmental organizations such as the International Eco-tourism Society
developed guidelines, conducted training courses, provided technical assistance and
published research papers related to tourism and the environment.
o Strengths – facilitate communication between various stakeholders such as
between local communities and tour operators or between tour operators and
planning authorities. NGOs also encourage local communities to actively
participate in the managing the impact of tourism. They also support the
various stakeholders in the form of additional manpower, expertise or marketing
campaigns. 
o Limitation – as NGO are non-profit organisations which rely on donation, they
may have difficulty in obtaining external funding.

 Planning authorities can influence the future quality of environments by determining

how many visitors a site can cope with and allocating space for infrastructure such as
roads and hotels  e.g. Singapore Tourism Board enhance the cultural zones of
Chinatown, Kampong Glam and Little India so that visitors and locals will have a
greater appreciation of Singapore’s rich heritage. 

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 o Strengths – able to successfully develop, approve, fund and maintain
infrastructure that help manage the impact of tourism in an area. Planning
authorities can also draft laws and policies that improve the quality of a tourist
site as well as work with other government agencies and utilize a range of
government resources
o Limitations – difficult to plan for unseen factors such as extreme weather,
natural disasters or lack of interest from the public. Stakeholders may oppose
management strategies of planning authorities as it might affect their livelihood or
change their way of life or when they think a different approach is needed to
solve the problem. Tourism management strategies have limited impact without
cooperation from stakeholders.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
…

Case Study – Tourism in Chinatown, Singapore

What is the nature of the tourist activity?

 Chinatown, a place with rich culture and heritage. The heritage centre is a museum
with wax figures and replicas of items that are found in the shop houses in the
1950s.Tourists can shop along the Chinatown Street market and souvenir shops, feast
at the food street on Smith Street or patronize the pubs and restaurants in the area.

 Integrated resorts such as Marina Bay Sands and Resorts World Sentosa offers
a mix of MICE facilities, entertainment and performance venues, hotels, dining
outlets, spas, shops and casinos. RWS even operates a maritime museum, a
water park as well as Universal Studios Singapore.

What is the impact of the development of tourism on the area where they are located as
well as the whole country?

Preservation of cultural heritage and historical buildings in Chinatown. Income from

business such as the food street and other commercial activities helps fund efforts to preserve
the cultural heritage and also increase awareness of the area. Many national conservation
buildings have been preserved as historical icons including the signature shop houses with their
five-foot wide covered passageways.

Erosion of the original heritage of Chinatown as many of the activities are focused on tourist
souvenirs and accommodation. However, there are also some businesses that promote the

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heritage of the areas such as restaurants that claim to serve authentic Chinese dishes.

The development of the Integrated Resorts had positive economic benefits by increasing

Singapore’s income through tourism and creating many employment opportunities in the hotels,
restaurants, theme parks and casinos. By Feb 2012, the IRs have created 60,000 jobs and
generated tourism receipts of US$18.5 billion.

Promoted Singapore as a vibrant city with a wide range of activities for tourists.

However, there are also negative social impact such as rising gambling addictions which

requires more counselling and environmental impacts such as the disturbance of Sentosa’s land
and maritime ecosystems and habitats. During the constructions of RWS, the coral reefs at the
northern part of the island were in danger of being destroyed if they are not relocated.

How is the impact managed?

To retain Chinatown’s cultural heritage, 33 heritage markers were installed by the STB
throughout Chinatown as part of the Chinatown Experience Guide plan with the help of the
National Heritage Board. The plan also resulted in the creation of the Chinatown Heritage
Centre.

An entrance fee of S$100 for Singaporeans and PRs are imposed to manage the negative
social impact of casinos on locals.

  

Is tourism a way for the area or country to develop?

Tourism helps to boost a country’s economy as it generates employment and business

opportunities for the people. It also provides incentives for the country to improve their
infrastructure which can also be used by the locals other than the tourists.

Tourism also helps to increase foreign exchange and generate tax revenue. Other than
economic benefits, countries can also use tourism to promote their local cultures and customs.

International tourism receipts increased 3% from 2011 to 2012, reaching US19.5 billion in 2012.
It contributed to more than 4% of Singapore’s economy in 2011. The tourism receipts came
from shopping, accommodation, sightseeing, food and even health care.

9% increase in international tourist arrivals from 2011 to 14.4 million in 2012. This increase in
Singapore hotel revenue which grew 28% in 2011.

Increased tourism can bring about negative impacts such as seasonal unemployment,

increased congestion, pollution, littering as well as a shortage of services.

Tourism is a key industry that has helped to drive Singapore’s economy. However, its capacity

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 to grow is restricted by the country’s limited land and resources.

Therefore, the government has placed more emphasis on quality tourism that focus on greater
tourism receipts than greater tourist arrivals.

It seeks to raise productivity for tourism growth by enhancing innovation among different
sectors and industries involved in tourism as well as investing in software that will help existing
infrastructure provide more value. This can be done through reinvention and rejuvenation of
tourist attractions.

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