Tourism in Singapore: Difference between revisions

{{Use British English|date=December 2012}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2012}}

[[File:Orchids-NationalOrchidGarden-20041025.jpg|thumb|[[Orchid]]s at the [[Singapore Botanic Gardens]]]]

[[File:RafflesHotel-Singapore-20041025.jpg|thumb|The historic [[Raffles Hotel]] is a [[National monuments of Singapore|national monument]]]]

'''[[Tourism]] in [[Singapore]]''' is a major industry and contributor to the Singaporean economy, attracting 17.4 million international tourists in 2017, more than 3 times of Singapore's total population.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.stb.gov.sg/news-and-publications/lists/newsroom/dispform.aspx?ID=744|title=Singapore tourism sector performance breaks record for the second year running in 2017|publisher=Singapore Tourism Board|accessdate=February 16, 2018|date=February 12, 2018}}</ref> It is also [[environmentally friendly]], and maintains natural and heritage conservation programs. Along with this, it also has one of [[Crime in Singapore|the world's lowest crime rates]]. As [[English language|English]] is the dominant one of its four [[official language]]s, it is generally easier for tourists to understand when speaking to the local population of the country, for example, when [[shopping]]. [[Transport in Singapore]] exhaustively covers most, if not all public venues in Singapore, which increases convenience for tourists. This includes the well-known [[Mass Rapid Transit (Singapore)|Mass Rapid Transit]] (MRT) system.

The ''[[Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Report]] 2017'' ranks Singapore 13th out of 136 countries overall, which was the third best in Asia only behind [[Japan]] (ranked 4th) and [[Hong Kong]] (ranked 11th). The report ranks Singapore's business environment, international openness, also travel and tourism policy and enabling conditions as the best in the world (ranked 1st). However, the island nation scored rather low in natural and cultural resources sub-index (ranked 40th).<ref>{{cite web|title=Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Report 2015 – Singapore|url=http://reports.weforum.org/travel-and-tourism-competitiveness-report-2015/economies/#economy=SGP|website=weforum.org|accessdate=25 September 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=The Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Report 2017|url=https://www.weforum.org/reports/the-travel-tourism-competitiveness-report-2017|work=World Economic Forum}}</ref>

The [[Orchard Road]] district, which is dominated by multi-storey shopping centres and hotels, can be considered the center of tourism in Singapore. Other popular tourist attractions include the [[Singapore Zoo]], [[River Safari]] and [[Night Safari, Singapore|Night Safari]], which allows people to explore Asian, African and American habitats at night without any visible barriers between guests and the wild animals. The Singapore Zoo has embraced the 'open zoo' concept whereby animals are kept in enclosures, separated from visitors by hidden dry or wet moats, instead of caging the animals, while the River Safari, features 10 different ecosystems around the world, including the [[Nile|River Nile]], [[Yangtze River]], [[Mississippi River|Mississippi]], [[Amazon River|Amazon]] as well as the [[Tundra]] and has 300 species of animals, including numerous endangered species.<ref name="WRSC">{{cite web |url=http://www.asiatravelcare.com/images/info_tkt/singaporeparks/riversafari_content.pdf |title=About River Safari |author=Wildlife Reserves Singapore Club |date=20 March 2013 |work= Wildlife Reserves Singapore Club |accessdate=27 November 2013}}</ref>

[[Jurong Bird Park]] is another zoological garden centred on [[bird]]s, which is dedicated towards exposing the public to as much species and varieties of birds from around the world as possible, including a flock of one thousand [[flamingo]]s. The tourist island of [[Sentosa]], which attracts 19 million visitors in 2011, is located in the south of Singapore, consists of about 20–30 landmarks, such as [[Fort Siloso]], which was built as a fortress to defend against the Japanese during [[World War II]].

Guns from the World War II era can be seen at [[Fort Siloso]], from a mini-sized to a 16 [[Avoirdupois|pound]] (7&nbsp;kg) gun. Moreover, the island has built the [[Tiger Sky Tower]], which allows visitors to view the whole of Sentosa, as well as the [[Sentosa Luge]], a small one- or two-person sled on which one sleighs supine and feet-first. Steering is done by shifting the weight or pulling straps attached to the sled's runners. Among the latest tourists attractions built in Singapore includes the two [[Integrated Resort|integrated resorts]] which houses [[casino]]s, namely [[Marina Bay Sands]] and [[Resorts World Sentosa]], a [[Universal Studios Singapore|Universal Studios theme park]] and [[Gardens by the Bay]].

==Tourism statistics==

[[File:Singapore Ducktours, Jul 07.JPG|thumb|right|250px|Singapore Ducktours (part of [[RATP Group]])]]

[[Singapore]] attracted 15,095,152 visitors in 2014, according to the [[Singapore Tourism Board]]'s statistics,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.stb.gov.sg/statistics-and-market-insights/marketstatistics/stb%20tourism%20statistics_fa%20as%20of%2002262016%20(lowres%20res).pdf|title=Singapore Annual Tourism Statistics Report for 2014|publisher=Singapore Tourism Board|accessdate=September 4, 2016}}</ref> but which excludes Malaysian visitors who visited Singapore via the [[Johor–Singapore Causeway|Causeway]] or the [[Malaysia–Singapore Second Link|Second Link]]. This was a 3% decrease from 2013, due to a decline in arrivals from [[China]], Singapore's second largest market.

Total visitor days was a record 56 million days, a growth of 3%, or an average of 3.7 days per visitor. 21% of visitors were day-trippers, while 79% stayed for a day or more. 77.5% of visitors arrived by air, 10.2% by sea, and 12.3% by land. The largest age group of visitors was from 25 to 34 years old at 22.9% of visitors, followed by 21.3% for those aged 35–44 and 16.9% for those from 45 to 54 years old.

The visitors came from the five biggest markets, mainly [[Indonesia]], People's Republic of China, [[Malaysia]], [[Australia]] and [[India]]. But in 2016, People's Republic of China tourists number has overlapped Indonesian tourists number.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.thejakartapost.com/travel/2017/01/21/china-overtakes-indonesia-as-singapores-top-market-for-tourists.html |title=China overtakes Indonesia as Singapore's top market for tourists |author=Jalelah Abu Bakr |date=January 21, 2017}}</ref>

Tourism receipts was estimated at S$23.6 billion in 2014, compared to S$18.9 billion in 2010, with Sightseeing, Entertainment & Gaming accounting for 24.7% of total expenditure, Accommodation making up 22.5%, Shopping accounting for 17.4% and Food and Beverage another 9.6%. Medical receipts, representing the [[Medical tourism|medical-tourism]] industry in the country contributed 4.2%.

Gazetted hotel room revenue was estimated at S$3.15 billion, an increase of 7.7% over 2013. The overall average occupancy rate was at 85%, 0.9% lesser than 2013, with the Upscale tier seeing the largest increase of 1%. Overall average room rate remained flat at S$258, while the overall revenue per available room was S$221, an decrease of 0.9% over 2013.

===General trends===

{| class="wikitable" border="1"

|-

!Year!!Tourism Arrivals!!<ref name="stb1"/> Percentage change from previous period

|-

|1965||align="right"|99,000||&nbsp;

|-

|1970||align="right"|579,000||488.1%

|-

|1975||align="right"|1,324,000||128.6%

|-

|1980||align="right"|2,562,000||92.%

|-

|1985||align="right"|3,031,000||18.3%

|-

|1990||align="right"|5,323,000||75.6%

|-

|1995||align="right"|7,137,000||34.1%

|-

|2000||align="right"|7,691,399||7.76%

|-

|2005||align="right"|8,943,029||16.27%

|-

|2010||align="right"|11,638,663||30.14%

|-

|2015||align="right"|15,231,469|| 30.86%

|}

===Recent years===

{| class="wikitable" border="1"

|-

!Year!!Tourism Arrivals!!<ref name="stb1"/> Percentage change from previous year

|-

|2010||align="right"|11,641,700||20.2%

|-

|2011||align="right"|13,171,303||13.1%

|-

|2012||align="right"|14,496,091||10.1%

|-

|2013||align="right"|15,567,923||7.4%

|-

|2014||align="right"|15,095,152||−3%

|-

|2015||align="right"|15,231,469|| 0.9%

|-

|2016||align="right"|16,402,593|| 7.7%

|-

|2017||align="right"|17,422,826|| 6.2%

|}

===Top markets 2000–2010===

Source: Singapore Tourism Board<ref>

{{Cite web

|url = https://app.stb.gov.sg/Data/tou/typea/type1/2012/16/IVAstat_Dec2013.pdf

|title = Tourism Statistics Publications

|accessdate = 2014-06-23

|publisher = Singapore Tourism Board

|pages =

|format =

|deadurl = yes

|archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20131227222747/https://app.stb.gov.sg/Data/tou/typea/type1/2012/16/IVAstat_Dec2013.pdf

|archivedate = 27 December 2013

|df = dmy-all

}}

</ref>

{| class="wikitable sortable collapsible autocollapse"

!Country or territory|| 2000 || 2001 || 2002 || 2003 || 2004 || 2005 || 2006 || 2007 || 2008 || 2009 || 2010

|-

|{{flag|Indonesia}}|| 1,313,316 || 1,364,380 || 1,393,020 || 1,341,747 || 1,765,324 || 1,813,569 || 1,922,217 || 1,962,055 || 1,765,429 || 1,745,330 || 2,305,149

|-

|{{flag|China}}|| 434,336 || 497,398 || 670,099 || 568,510 || 880,259 || 857,814 || 1,037,201 || 1,113,956 || 1,078,742 || 936,747 || 1,171,337

|-

|{{flag|Malaysia}}<ref name="ReferenceA">Excludes Malaysian citizens arriving by land.</ref>|| 564,750 || 578,719 || 548,659 || 439,437 || 537,336 || 577,987 || 634,303 || 645,774 || 647,480 || 764,309 || 1,036,918

|-

|{{flag|Australia}}|| 510,347 || 550,681 || 538,408 || 392,906 || 561,163 || 620,255 || 691,632 || 768,490 || 833,156 || 830,299 || 880,486

|-

|{{flag|India}}|| 346,360 || 339,828 || 375,697 || 309,487 || 471,244 || 583,590 || 658,902 || 748,728 || 778,303 || 725,624 || 828,903

|-

|{{flag|Japan}}|| 929,895 || 755,766 || 723,431 || 434,087 || 598,840 || 588,535 || 594,406 || 594,514 || 571,040 || 489,987 || 528,817

|-

|{{flag|Philippines}}|| 181,032 || 190,630 || 195,564 || 176,585 || 245,918 || 319,971 || 386,119 || 418,775 || 418,938 || 432,072 || 544,344

|-

|{{flag|Hong Kong}}|| 285,975 || 276,157 || 265,970 || 226,260 || 271,691 || 313,831 || 291,474 || 302,110 || 278,115 || 294,420 || 387,552

|-

|{{flag|Thailand}}|| 246,750 || 260,958 || 263,866 || 235,826 || 341,989 || 379,040 || 356,367 || 353,416 || 333,905 || 317,905 || 430,022

|-

|{{flag|United States}}|| 385,585 || 343,805 || 327,648 || 250,678 || 333,156 || 371,440 || 399,786 || 408,885 || 396,631 || 370,704 || 416,990

|-

|{{flag|South Korea}}|| 354,353 || 359,083 || 371,050 || 261,403 || 361,083 || 364,206 || 454,722 || 464,292 || 423,018 || 271,987 || 360,673

|-

|{{flag|United Kingdom}}|| 444,976 || 460,018 || 458,528 || 387,982 || 457,262 || 467,154 || 488,167 || 495,693 || 492,933 || 469,756 || 461,714

|-

|{{flag|Vietnam}}|| 31,837 || 34,633 || 40,652 || 44,420 || 105,803 || 150,626 || 165,105 || 203,210 || 239,299 || 265,414 || 322,853

|-

|{{flag|Taiwan}}|| 290,904 || 222,087 || 209,321 || 144,942 || 182,443 || 213,959 || 219,463 || 208,156 || 175,924 || 156,761 || 191,173

|-

|{{flag|Germany}}|| 169,408 || 166,981 || 157,510 || 121,376 || 142,371 || 154,779 || 161,125 || 164,900 || 175,280 || 183,681 || 209,231

|}

===Top markets 2011–2017===

Source: Singapore Tourism Board<ref name=stb1>

{{Cite web

| url = https://www.stb.gov.sg/statistics-and-market-insights/Pages/statistics-Visitor-Arrivals.aspx

| title = International Visitor Arrivals (2005-2017)

| accessdate = February 12, 2018

| publisher = Singapore Tourism Board

| pages =

| format =

}}

</ref>

{| class="wikitable sortable"

!Country or territory|| 2011 || 2012 || 2013 || 2014 || 2015 || 2016 || 2017

|-

|{{flag|China}}|| 1,577,522 || 2,034,177 || 2,269,870 || 1,722,380 || 2,106,164 || 2,863,582 || 3,226,929

|-

|{{flag|Indonesia}}|| 2,592,222 || 2,837,537 || 3,088,859 || 3,025,178 || 2,731,690 || 2,893,614 || 2,954,384

|-

|{{flag|India}}|| 868,991 || 894,993 || 933,553 || 943,636 || 1,013,986 || 1,097,186 || 1,272,069

|-

|{{flag|Malaysia}}<ref name="ReferenceA"/>|| 1,140,935 || 1,231,686 || 1,280,942 || 1,233,035 || 1,171,077 || 1,151,480 || 1,168,356

|-

|{{flag|Australia}} || 956,039 || 1,050,373 || 1,125,179 || 1,074,878 || 1,043,568 || 1,027,309 || 1,081,987

|-

|{{flag|Japan}}|| 656,417 || 757,116 || 832,845 || 824,741 || 789,179 || 783,721 || 792,813

|-

|{{flag|Philippines}}|| 677,723 || 656,804 || 687,794 || 676,481 || 673,374 || 691,555 || 736,456

|-

|{{flag|South Korea}}|| 414,879 || 445,184 || 471,768 || 536,975 || 577,082 || 566,503 || 631,359

|-

|{{flag|United States}}|| 440,576 || 477,213 || 491,946 || 484,912 || 499,509 || 516,276 || 565,250

|-

|{{flag|Vietnam}}|| 332,231 || 366,234 || 380,495 || 424,408 || 418,266 || 469,409 || 531,359

|-

|{{flag|Thailand}}|| 472,708 || 477,654 || 497,409 || 506,509 || 516,409 || 546,384 || 531,307

|-

|{{flag|United Kingdom}}|| 442,611 || 446,497 || 461,459 || 451,931 || 473,810 || 489,205 || 518,903

|-

|{{flag|Hong Kong}}|| 464,375 || 472,167 || 539,810 || 631,029 || 609,888 || 537,964 || 465,769

|-

|{{flag|Taiwan}}|| 238,488 || 282,203 || 350,308 || 337,431 || 378,026 || 394,174 || 395,549

|-

|{{flag|Germany}}|| 219,952 || 252,433 || 251,560 || 263,513 || 286,732 || 328,762 || 342,336

|}

===Sightseeing Bus fleet===

Historically, their fleet were made up of second-hand step-entrance double deckers in 2001 – 2004 for the City Sightseeing/Singapore Ducktours operation in Singapore, but new open-top buses were arrived beginning January 2006. Their electronic destination displays were added since January 2006 to replace roller-blinds in stages, which uses Mobitec MobiLED in larger font.

* 6 Scania L94UB / Soon Chow (11, 13, 17-18 & 21-22)

* 9 Scania K230UB / Soon Chow (23-29 & 50-51)

* 11 MAN 18.240 HOCL-NL / Soon Chow (52-62)

* 6 Scania K320UD / CDGE (71-76)

===Sightseeing Bus Routes===

{| class="wikitable"

|-

!Route Number & Colour

!Route Name

!Places served

!Duration of service (approx.)

!Other notes

|-

! style="background:#FF0000; color:white"|670

|The Loop Line

|[[ITE College East]], [[Bugis MRT Station]], ]]North Bridge Commercial Complex]], City Hall, Boat Quay, Chinatown, Clarke Quay, Liang Court, Hotel Miramar, Zion Food Centre, [[Botanic Gardens]], Orchard Road, City Hall, Suntec City

|62 minutes

|rowspan=6 {{n/a}}

|-

! style="background:#00A86B; color:white"|H1 <br><small>Green</small>

|Tampines City Route

|Tampines Primary and Secondary Schools, [[Changi General Hospital]], [[ITE College East]], Stratford Court, [[Bedok Mall]], Ping Yi, Arc @ Tampines, [[Temasek Polytechnic]]

|rowspan=2|45 minutes

|-

! style="background:#0000FF; color:white"|H2 <br><small>Blue</small>

|Tampines Metropolis Route

|Tampines Primary and Secondary Schools, Ashford Station, Changi General Hospital, ITE College East, Parc Lumiere, Tampines East CC, Tampines JC, Tampines Central CC

|-

! style="background:#FF0000; color:white"|H3 <br><small>Red</small>

|Tampines Original

|Tampines Primary and Secondary Schools, Centrale 8, Tampines Central, IKEA Tampines, Tampines Central CC, Tampines City Hub

|35 minutes

|-

! style="background:#734548; color:white"|H4 <br><small>Brown</small>

|Tampines Original

|Tampines Primary and Secondary Schools, East View Secondary School, [[Tampines East MRT Station]], Flora Road, Pasir Ris

|52 minutes

|-

! style="background:#734549; color:white"|T1 <br><small>Brown</small>

|The Original Tour

|[[Singapore Flyer]], [[Ritz-Carlton]], [[Esplanade]], Clifford Pier, Cross Street, Tanjong Pagar, Tiong Bahru, Havelock Road, Hotel Miramar, [[National Gallery Singapore|National Gallery Of Singapore]]

|35 minutes

|-

! style="background:#00A86B; color:white"|T3 <br><small>Green</small>

|Chinatown Tour

|[[Resorts World Sentosa]], [[Shenton Way]], Anson Road, Cecil Street, Raffles Place, [[Victoria Concert Hall]], [[Raffles Hotel]], Kampong Glam, V Hotel Lavender (ELD Training Centre)

|40 minutes

|rowspan=2|Two-way service

|-

! style="background:#9016b2; color:white"|T6 <br><small>Purple</small>

|Heritage Corridor

|Suntec Hub, [[Marina Bay Sands]], [[Victoria Concert Hall]], Bugis, [[Fu Lu Shou Complex]], [[Mustafa Centre]], Kallang Bahru

|40–45 minutes

|-

! style="background:#76bc1f; color:white"|T7 <br><small>Lime</small>

|Stadium Wave

|[[Marina Bay Sands]], [[Esplanade]], Seating Gallery, [[Bugis MRT Station]], [[Lavender MRT Station]], [[Kallang MRT Station]], [[Singapore Sports Hub]]

|40 minutes

|rowspan=3 {{n/a}}

|-

! style="background:#f400a1; color:white"|T10 <br><small>Pink</small>

|NTU-Lien Ying Chow Tour

|[[Suntec City]], AYE, [[National University of Singapore]], Clementi, Jurong East (Jurong Gateway), AYE, Jurong Point, [[Pioneer MRT Station]], [[Nanyang Technological University]]

|110 minutes

|-

! style="background:#0354a6; color:white"|T18 <br><small>Blue</small>

|{{unknown}}

|[[Singapore Flyer]], [[Ritz-Carlton]], [[SMU]], [[School of the Arts]], [[Sim Lim Square]], Victoria Street, Jalan Besar, Bencoolen, Middle Road, Raffles Hotel

|35 minutes

|}

===Boat fleet===

* 5 Condiesel Larc V (Originally from [[Singapore Armed Forces]], withdrawn in 2000 and converted in 2002)

==Shopping==

[[File:Ngee Ann City Orchard Road.jpg|thumb|right|250px|[[Takashimaya]] Shopping Centre in Orchard Road]]

There are various shopping belts in Singapore, [[Marina Bay, Singapore|Marina Bay]], [[Bugis Street]], [[Chinatown, Singapore|Chinatown]], [[Geylang Serai]], [[Kampong Gelam]] & [[Arab Street]], [[Little India, Singapore|Little India]], [[North Bridge Road]], [[Orchard Road]], and The Suburbs.

Singapore seeks to be the business hub of [[Southeast Asia]] and has an expansive shopping precinct located in the [[Orchard Road]] district. Many multistorey [[shopping centre]]s are located at Orchard Road; the area also has many [[hotel]]s, and it's the main tourism centre of Singapore, other than the [[Downtown Core]]. The local populace also use Orchard Road for shopping extensively.

==Island resorts==

[[File:Universal Studios Singapore Gate.jpg|thumb|right|USS Entrance Archway]]

[[File:Marina-bay-at night singapore-May 1 2009.jpg|thumb|right|250px|Marina Bay, with [[Marina Centre]] in the background.]]

[[Sentosa]] is a relatively large island of Singapore located to its south. Along with a beach-front resort, the island's tourist attractions include [[Fort Siloso]], its historical museum, the [[Underwater World, Singapore|Underwater World]] [[aquarium]] and the ''[[Tiger Sky Tower]]''. Singapore also features two casinos ([[integrated resort]]s), one the [[Marina Bay Sands]] and the other, [[Resorts World Sentosa]] (home to [[Universal Studios Singapore]] and [[Madame Tussauds Singapore]]) The proposal of building the [[integrated resort]]s was controversial.

==Cultural and historical landmarks==

[[File:Sri Mariamman Temple 2.JPG|170px|thumbnail|right|Sri Mariamman Temple, is Singapore's oldest Hindu temple located in [[Chinatown, Singapore]]]]

A former British colony, Singapore has various historical and cultural landmarks with British and regional influences in its architecture. Such cultural landmarks include the [[Masjid Sultan]], one of Singapore's most important mosques which was completed in 1826, the [[Thian Hock Keng]], one of Singapore's oldest temples, which was completed in 1839 and the [[Sri Mariamman Temple, Singapore|Sri Mariamman Temple]], which was built in 1827, making it the oldest Hindu temple in Singapore.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.tripadvisor.com.sg/Attractions-g294265-Activities-c47-Singapore.html|title=The Top 10 Singapore Landmarks – TripAdvisor|publisher=Trip Adviser|accessdate=December 7, 2016}}</ref> Other historical monuments include the [[Kranji War Memorial]], [[Civilian War Memorial]], [[Victoria Theatre and Concert Hall]] and [[Istana Kampong Glam]].

Singapore has four major museums depicting the art and history of the country and of the region. The [[Asian Civilisations Museum]] specialises in the material history of China, Southeast Asia, South Asia and West Asia, from which the diverse ethnic groups of Singapore trace their ancestry, while the [[Peranakan Museum]], the first of its kind in the world, explores [[Peranakan|Peranakan cultures]] in Singapore and other former [[Straits Settlements]] in [[Malacca]] and Penang, and other Peranakan communities in [[Southeast Asia]].<ref name="newest">{{cite press release|title=Singapore’s Newest Museum Opens: showcasing the finest and most comprehensive Peranakan collection in the world|publisher=Asian Civilizations Museum|date=2008-04-17}}</ref> Singapore's [[National Museum of Singapore]] is the oldest museum in the country, with its history dating back to 1849, mainly showcases collections of nation-building and the history of Singapore from the 14th century in a story-telling approach,<ref name="Clara Chow">Clara Chow, "National Museum opens after $132m makeover", ''[[The Straits Times]]'', 8 December 2006</ref> while the [[Singapore Art Museum]] is a contemporary art museum focusing on art practices in Singapore, Southeast Asia and Asia. Other smaller museums include [[Changi Museum]], which showcases collection of paintings, photographs and personal effects donated by former POWs(Prisoners of War) during the Japanese Occupation of Singapore<ref>{{cite news| title = Singapore war internee's art on show | author = Nick Meo | date = 2006-08-23 | publisher = BBC | url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/5274472.stm}}</ref> and the [[Mint Museum of Toys]], which has a collection of 3,000 toys and childhood memorabilia from the mid-19th century to mid-20th Century.

==Nature sight-seeing==

[[File:2016 Singapur, Ogrody botaniczne (255).jpg|thumb|right|200px|The monument to [[Chopin]] in the [[Singapore Botanic Gardens]], just south of [[Symphony Lake, Singapore|Symphony Lake]].]]

Singapore has a variety of parks and projects which often feature its natural tropical environment.

Singapore has 3 zoos, namely, the [[Singapore Zoo]], [[Night Safari]] and [[River Safari]]. The Singapore Zoo displays animals in 'open' naturalistic, spacious, landscaped enclosures separated from the visitors by hidden barriers, moats, and glass, with various shows and events occurring throughout the day to allow visitors to interact with the animals.<ref name="Bell2001">{{cite book|author=Catharine E. Bell|title=Encyclopedia of the World's Zoos|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8DT4xOpIzS0C&pg=PA1155|date=January 2001|publisher=Taylor & Francis|isbn=978-1-57958-174-9|page=1155}}</ref> [[Night Safari, Singapore|Night Safari]] is the world's first nocturnal zoo, set in a humid tropical forest that is only open at night, it is divided into seven geographical zones, which can be explored either on foot via four walking trails, or by tram. [[River Safari]] features a [[tropical rainforest]] setting<ref name="CNAMay21">{{cite web |url=http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/1058154/1/.html |title=Attractions of Asia's first river-themed park River Safari unveiled |author=Mustafa Shafawi, Hetty Musfira |date=21 May 2010 |publisher=Channel NewsAsia |accessdate=20 October 2010}}</ref> and features 10 different ecosystems around the world, with 5000 animals of 300 species. Among the main attractions in the River Safari is a pair of male and female [[giant panda]]s – Kai Kai (凯凯) and Jia Jia (嘉嘉)<ref>[http://www.relax.com.sg/relax/news/578664/S_pore_s_giant_pandas_named_Kai_Kai_and_Jia_Jia.html Relax – S'pore's giant pandas named Kai Kai and Jia Jia<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> – which are housed in a specially constructed climate-controlled enclosure which change throughout the four seasons emulating their original environment.<ref name="Official Page">{{cite web |url=http://www.wrs.com.sg/river-safari.html |title=River Safari – Official Page |author=Wildlife Reserves Singapore Staff |publisher=[[Wildlife Reserves Singapore]] |accessdate=8 October 2010}}</ref>

[[File:Supertree Grove, Gardens by the Bay, Singapore - 20120630-04.jpg|200px|thumbnail|left|Supertrees at [[Gardens by the Bay]], at night.]]

Among the various gardens and parks located in the country, Singapore's [[Singapore Botanic Gardens]], [[Jurong Bird Park]] and [[Gardens by the Bay]] are most popular amongst tourists. The Singapore Botanical Gardens, a [[World Heritage Site|UNESCO World Heritage Site]] is a 52 hectares tropical garden, among its main attractions includes the National Orchid collection with over 3000 types of [[Orchidaceae|orchids]] growing. Jurong Bird Park, is a bird zoo with extensive specimens of exotic bird life from around the world, including a flock of one thousand flamingos. The bird park is largest in the world in terms of the number of birds. Gardens By The Bay, designed as a series of large tropical leaf-shaped gardens, each with its own specific landscaping design, character and theme. Its main attractions are the two conservatories, the Flower Dome, which replicates a mild, dry climate and features plants found in the Mediterranean and other semi-arid tropical regions, and the Cloud Forest, which replicates the cool moist conditions found in tropical mountain regions between 1,000 metres (3,300&nbsp;ft) and 3,000 metres (9,800&nbsp;ft) above sea level, found in South-East Asia, Middle- and South America. Other main attractions include the Supertree Grove, which features tree-like structures, known as Supertrees that dominate the Gardens' landscape. They are vertical gardens that perform a multitude of functions, which include planting, shading and working as environmental engines for the gardens.

Singapore also has two [[ASEAN Heritage Parks]], which are the [[Bukit Timah Nature Reserve]], an extensive [[nature reserve]] which covers much of the [[Bukit Timah Hill]], and is the only remaining place where primary rainforest still exists on the island, and the [[Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve]], which is known for its high variety of bird species, crabs, mudskippers and flora and fauna.

[[Pulau Ubin]], is an offshore island where the last of undeveloped ''[[Kampong Glam|kampongs]]'' (villages) and wooden jetties, relaxed inhabitants, rich and preserved wildlife, abandoned quarries and plantations, and untouched nature still exists. One of the more popular spots on the island is, [[Chek Jawa]], a previous coral reef 5000 years ago, where several ecosystems can be observed in one area.

==Dining==

{{Main article|Cuisine of Singapore}}

The '''cuisine of Singapore''' is often viewed by its population as a prime example of the ethnic diversity of the [[culture of Singapore]]. In [[Singapore]]'s [[hawker centre]]s – a technical misnomer, to be precise – for example, traditionally Malay [[hawker centre|hawker]] stalls selling [[halal]] food may serve halal versions of traditionally Tamil or Chinese food. Chinese stalls may introduce Malay or Indian ingredients, cooking techniques or entire dishes into their range of catering. Some dishes introduce elements from all three cultures, while others incorporate influences from the rest of [[Asia]] and [[Western Hemisphere|the West]].

This phenomenon makes the cuisine of Singapore significantly rich and a cultural attraction. Much prepared food is available in the hawker centres or [[food court]]s (e.g. [[Lau Pa Sat]], [[Newton Food Centre]]) rather than actual [[restaurant]]s. These centres are relatively [[supply and demand|abundant]] which often leads to low prices, and encourages a large consumer base.

Food in itself has been heavily promoted as an attraction for [[tourist]]s, and is usually promoted by various initiatives undertaken by the [[Singapore Tourism Board]] or the associations it deals with as one of Singapore's best attractions alongside [[shopping]]. The government organises the [[Singapore Food Festival]] in July annually to celebrate Singapore's cuisine. The multiculturalism of local food, the ready availability of international cuisine, and their wide range in prices to fit all budgets at all times of the day and year helps create a "food paradise" to rival other contenders claiming the same [[moniker]]. The availability of variety of food is often aided by the fact [[port of Singapore|Singapore's port]] lies along strategic routes. Catherine Ling of ''[[CNN]]'' listed [[Fish soup bee hoon]], [[Bak kut teh]], [[Chilli crab]], [[Nasi Padang]], [[Hainanese chicken rice]], and [[Kaya toast]] as some of the "40 Singapore foods we can't live without".<ref name="CNN 1">{{cite news|newspaper=[[CNN]] |last=Ling |first=Catherine |url=http://travel.cnn.com/singapore/none/40-singapore-foods-we-cant-live-without-810208 |title=40 Singapore foods we can't live without |date=April 14, 2010 }}</ref>

There is also a proliferation of [[fast-food]] chains, such as [[McDonald's]], [[Pizza Hut]], [[KFC]], [[Burger King]], [[Subway (restaurant)|Subway]], [[Long John Silver's]], and [[Mos Burger]].

[[Halal]] and [[vegetarian]] food are also easily available.

==Tourist events==

[[Singapore Tourism Board]] promotes a variety of events all year round for tourists. Some of the anchor events are the [[Chingay Parade]], [[Singapore Arts Festival]] and [[Singapore Garden Festival]].{{Citation needed|date=April 2011}}

The [[Singapore Food Festival]] is held every July to celebrate Singapore's cuisine. Other annual events include the [[Singapore Sun Festival]], the Christmas Light Up, and the Singapore Jewel Festival.<ref>[http://www.visitsingapore.com/editorials/whats-happening-in-singapore/ What's Happening in Singapore], VisitSingapore.com.</ref>

Singapore hosted a round of the 2008 FIA [[Formula One]] World Championship ([[Singapore Grand Prix]]).<ref>[http://www.formula1.com/news/6063.html http://www.formula1.com/news/6063.html]</ref> The race, held on a new street circuit at [[Marina Bay, Singapore|Marina Bay]], was the first night-time event in Formula One history. The event was considered an overall success due to the sheer amount of organisation, planning and hard work put into the event.[http://bleacherreport.com/articles/84653-how-successful-were-the-new-singapore-and-valencia-street-tracks]. Also in 2010, Singapore hosted the inaugural [[2010 Summer Youth Olympics|Youth Olympic Games]], where the Singapore Tourism Board (STB), which say the Games is expected to generate a minimum of 180,000 visitor nights for Singapore.<ref>{{cite news| title = Inaugural Youth Olympic Games will boost Singapore's tourism industry| publisher = [[Channel NewsAsia]] | date = 23 February 2008 | url = http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/330661/1/.html}}</ref>

==See also==

{{Portal|Singapore}}

* [[Visa policy of Singapore]]

* [[Communications in Singapore]]

* [[Culture of Singapore]]

* [[History of Singapore]]

* [[History of the Republic of Singapore]]

* [[Landmark sites in Singapore]]

* [[Media of Singapore]]

* [[Singapore Tourism Board]]

* [[Transport in Singapore]]

==References==

{{Reflist|30em}}

==External links==

{{Wikivoyage|Singapore}}

* {{Library resources about|onlinebooks=no|others=yes}}

* [http://www.stb.com.sg/ Singapore Tourism Board]

* [http://www.visitsingapore.com/ VisitSingapore.com – The official destination website of Singapore]