Destination Singapore scenario Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Destination Singapore scenario - Assignment Example Tourism is a labour intensive industry and expansions in this business will create immense potential for employment in the host country. Though Singapore is small in size, the country has been a hot favourite for tourists and shoppers from across the globe since a long time. The country currently ranks as the third richest nation in the world and though it does not have much in terms of natural resources, due to tourism and other businesses, Singapore has been able to fare quite well in the economic front in the past. However, in order to make the best use of the future prospects, the country has to harness its resources and align its capabilities for improvement and innovation in the travel and tourism industries so that it can sustain the steady economic growth. This paper develops a fictional tourism strategic policy for Singapore on the premise of a situation where the three nearby airports of Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur and Bali are closed down due to natural disasters, which makes th e country the only gateway to other South East Asian countries. It will dwell on various policies that need to be implemented so that the country can optimise its potential as a tourist destination, to cater to the extra demand, over the next five years, in a sustainable manner. Innovations in Singapore Tourism: Strategic Policies and Planning Framework Introduction: Singapore is one of the top ranking economies in Asia Pacific region, with sophisticated infrastructures both in ground and air transport, which rank respectively â€Å"2nd and 14th† as well as a high quality human resources that ranks â€Å"2nd† in the region (Blanke & Chiesa, 2013, p.xxi). In addition, the country ranks as first among all economies for its â€Å"policy environment† that is most supportive with its rules and regulations encouraging travel and tourism industries (p.xxi). Data relating to visiting tourists shows a rising trend with â€Å"11.6 million in 2010 and 13.2 million in 2011 † with revenue earnings of â€Å"S$ 18.9 billion in 2010† and â€Å"$ 22.4 billion† in 2011 (Annual Report of Tourism Statistics, 2012, p.1). Therefore, it transpires that despite the economic down trend across the world, tourism industry in Singapore has been growing in a fast paced manner. The hotel industry in the country also has remained in a strong position over the years with the rates of occupancy up to â€Å"85%† in 2010 and â€Å"86%† in 2011 (Table-34, p.77). Currently, the country has a total of â€Å"154† gazetted hotels with â€Å"40,759† rooms available for letting out (p.83). The land transport system here comprises road and rail services with Express Ways of 161 km, Arterial Roads of 645 km, Collector Roads of 557 km and Local Access Roads of 2,048 km (Singapore Land Transport Statistics as at End of 2011, p.58). In addition, they have Rapid Transit Systems (RTS) with MRT of 146.5 and LRT of 28.8 km, with 97 MRT statio ns and 34 LRT stations, catering to a resident population of 5,184,000 and 13,171,000 visitors (p.58). Air traffic system in the country has accounted for the arrival of â€Å"150,827† aircrafts during the year 2011, carrying 22,778,000 passengers while sea transport has registered the arrival of â€Å"127,998† vessels in 2011 (Year Book of Statistics Singapore, 2012, p.181). This study envisages the development of a new tourism strategic policy and planning framework for Singapore to cater to an extra demand arising from a