GP ESSAY PRESENTATION TOPIC: OTHERS Lim Zi Kun 12S03C

The tourist does not see the country the inhabitants know.’ How far is this true of Singapore? (GCE ‘A’ Level 2005 Question 8)  Question words: How far is this true  Definitions:  Tourist- Someone who travels and stays in the place for a maximum of a year  Inhabitants- Residents living in a location for a substantial period of time  Context: Singapore

The tourist does not see the country the inhabitants know.’ How far is this true of Singapore? (GCE ‘A’ Level 2005 Question 8)  Possible errors in approach  Mere descriptions of tourists and inhabitants’ views of the country  Narrowing the scope of knowledge of the people on the country to only the physical aspect, without taking in other areas such as social issues

Introduction  Tourism plays the role of a major contributor in Singapore’s economy  11,638,663 tourists were attracted to visit Singapore in 2010  Singapore’s diverse mixture of races, religion, social and economic backgrounds could lead to differing viewpoints of tourists and local inhabitants

Thesis 1: True  Local societal problems are often elusive to the tourists as a result of a positively crafted portrayal of the country  Much effort is placed to promote the country in good light and leave a positive impression on tourists for boost of tourism industry Destination branding of ‘Uniquely Singapore’ from 2004 to 2009 and ‘YourSingapore’ in 2010 International events such as F1 racing and International Monetary Fund (IMF) Meeting 2006 where 100,000 flowers and shrubs were used to beautify the landscape Business climate- Singapore ranked No. 1 in the world in ease of doing business and No. 2 in protecting investors, according to the World Bank Group's annual rankings for 2009 and 2010.

Thesis 1: True  Widening income gap present and that some people fall through the cracks as the country’s economy grows not seen Singapore, according to the 2009 UN report, had a Gini coefficient of 42.5, exceeded only by Hong Kong (43.4) among the countries with very high human development Cost of living in Singapore was ranked 78 of 239 in an ECA International Survey conducted

Thesis 2: True  The tourist does not understand the progress made in the country from its early years  Negative commentaries of Singapore ‘The Little Red Dot’ - Former Indonesian President Bacharuddin Jusuf (B.J.) Habibie’s comment, hinting at Singapore’s incapability A government system where the people are too law-abiding and people are apathetic about political issues; people are led by their noses and the system is not democratic

Thesis 2: True  Progress made and prosperity attained as result of consistent efforts of people and leadership Under the People’s Action Party (PAP), Singapore created what may be called an economic miracle. Within 46 years of independence, Singapore has become a prosperous nation ranked 25 th of 177 nations in the Human Development Index

Anti-Thesis 1: False  There are similarities and truths in what tourists see at face value  Singapore as a Garden City With lush greenery that lines the streets and roads and Tree Planting Campaigns from 1963, Singapore definitely lives up to its name  Singapore as a safe living environment Singapore’s overall crime reported has fallen by 0.6% (200 cases) from 33,186 cases in 2009 to 32,986 cases in 2010.

Anti-Thesis 2: False  The heritage and culture of the country may be learnt via various channels  With increased accessibility to the Internet, tourists may gain information easily about the place of visit  Museums, guided tours can increase knowledge of country National Heritage Board and National Museum of Singapore Duck & Hippo Tours Singapore Heartlands Trail Shop and Eat Tour

Counter argument to Anti-Thesis  The knowledge attained from guided tours may not be translated into understanding  Day-to-day habits and way of life is not communicated or shown

Conclusion  To a large extent true  It is not possible for a tourist to have full understanding of the country based on isolated experiences or sightings  Instead, only by living among the local community and time would allow attainment of understanding and insights into country  Not only applies to Singapore, but to any other country as well Though fact may be that Singapore being a small island allows for tourist to tour the island well in a day’s time