SINGAPORE must continue to “enhance the tourism experience and upgrade the tourism sector” to remain an attractive tourist destination, said Singapore prime minister Lee Hsien Loong.
Speaking at the official opening of river-themed wildlife park River Safari on Friday last week, Lee said: “Travellers are becoming increasingly spoilt for choice. They are not attracted just by iconic buildings or infrastructure, and want different and unique experiences customised to meet their interests.
“Therefore, we have to complement our hardware with good software, imaginative projects, which will create unforgettable experiences and make you want to come back for more visits.”
To aid the tourism sector, Lee highlighted the government has set aside almost S$1 billion (US$800 million) in a Kickstart Fund (TTG Asia e-Daily, September 26, 2013) to help fund new tourism concepts among other initiatives.
Nevertheless, pointing out that tourism is a “high-touch industry”, he said the government is studying how to do more to equip workers with the skills, knowledge and courtesies to do well in the sector.
Noting that the River Safari is Asia’s first and only river-themed wildlife park, Lee said the park makes the Mandai cluster an even more exciting nature destination alongside the Zoo and Night Safari.
The River Safari has attracted more than 1.1 million visitors since its soft launch in April last year (TTG Asia e-Daily, March 26, 2013).
Home to 6,000 animals, the park also houses Singapore’s first pair of giant pandas. As the wait for a baby panda from resident pair Kai Kai and Jia Jia continues, Claire Chiang, chairman of Wildlife Reserves Singapore, said: “We are hoping for good news, maybe in the next two years.”
