Tourist Images of Asia: Singapore

We can learn a lot about tourist development by looking at the images through which destinations are marketed. The following descriptions of a tourist destination in Asia are typical of those produced for the tourism market. In reading the material, consider what it shows about the image of Asia as a tourist destination.

Fantastic Shopping!

Few places on earth have shopping as good as Singapore. Bursting with exotic treasure and futuristic gadgets, Singapore is like an enormous bazaar where you can buy anything from cameras to Persian carpets, Thai silk to European designer fashions. For a mind-blowing experience try the huge department stores with their famous brands from all over the world. Orchard Road is full of them, while the stores on the East Coast such as City Plaza tend to be less busy and often a little cheaper. Shop till you drop on our special shopping tour - tremendous value and fun!

Delicious Food!

Food is great fun in Singapore. Indulge your passion for Oriental dishes such as the famous Peking Duck. Sample superb Malaysian gado-gado or subtle flavours of India in a range of delicious dishes. There are sushi bars for fans of Japanese food and restaurants serving every type of Western cuisine from Russian caviar to American hamburgers. And like the food, the variety of restaurants seems endless - everything from five-star to outdoor street stalls. The smell of Asian foods cooking, the bright neon lights and the constant bustle are invigorating. Or why not enjoy our 'Eastern Dinner Cruise' for the romantic evening with a difference - an experience you will treasure forever.

Captivating Atmosphere!

In the cultural districts of Singapore you can mix shopping with sightseeing. Stroll down Serangoon Road (Little India) where the sights and smells of India fill the air. Visit the streets of Chinatown and see how life was in old Singapore. And don't forget Arab Street in the Muslim district. Overflowing with batik, basketware, jewellery and perfumes, it's full of charm and atmosphere. For garden lovers the Botanic Gardens offer a peaceful retreat while in Jurong, both the Chinese Garden with its pagodas and weeping willows and the Japanese Garden of Tranquillity with its fine teahouse offer hours of distraction away from the busy city. These and other attractions can be enjoyed on our island tours including 'City Experience' and 'East Coast Highlights'.

Islands of Fun!

Singapore's offshore islands offer great attractions. Visit Kusa (Turtle) Island with its sacred Chinese temple and survey the wonderful views across the harbour to Singapore. Or see Sentosa on our 'Home of Tranquillity' tour. Once a military base, it's now a pleasure resort where you can get round on the open-air monorail that lazily snakes its way to most of the island's attractions ... and no end of surprises!

In Singapore the surprises never seem to end. There is history a plenty for devotees of the past on our 'In Raffles' Footsteps' tour. There are temples heavy with incense, discos to bop in, golf courses to play on, race meetings to bet on and of course there is the unexpected - the discoveries unique to every traveller who steps out in dynamic Singapore.

Questions

1. The Description

• What aspects of the places are highlighted?
• What have the writers assumed the tourists want?
• What kind of person is this implied tourist?
• How successfully does the material stimulate your interest? How does it do this?
• Are there things you might want to do in these places which are not mentioned? If so, why are they omitted?

2. Images

• What is the dominant image of the place? Is it a narrow stereotype or does it reflect the variety of life in these destinations?
• What images of the people are presented? How well would they recognise themselves in the material?
• Does the image in any way enhance or demean their standing as people?

3. The Effect of Images

• How would this image feed back into the construction of the environment and life in these places?
• What kind of environment would the realisation of the images create?
• What problems might arise from the construction of it?
• What impact would the provision of these images have on the life and work of the people?