Tourism Development of Singapore: Artificiality Versus Profitability

In line with Singapore’s high-value knowledge economy development, the city-state has moved on to champion the tourism sector as one of its key service sectors to bring in big revenues. By pursuing a corporatized and competitive quality tourism strategy, Singapore’s tourism sector encompasses a series of activities ranging from holding international convention meetings for business, to tropical botanic gardens, resorts and food attractions for leisure seekers. This chapter will first trace the current trend of urban-based tourism development from the generic heritage focus to a more diversified higher end tourist-driven approach in the world and in Singapore in particular. It will subsequently examine the success and weaknesses of cultural tourism being put in place within a much “man-made” setting in the city-state of Singapore which has been radically modernized and transformed over the past half a century.