Critical Analysis: Destination Image Report on Singapore Tourism

This report provides a critical analysis of Singapore's destination image by comparing perceptions gathered from interviews with media representations. Three interviews were conducted with William Angliss Institute students to gauge their understanding and views of Singapore as a tourist destination, covering aspects like location, culture, infrastructure, and attractions. These perceptions are then compared with how Singapore is portrayed in various media, including videos, movies, and literature. The analysis identifies similarities, such as the perception of Singapore as a small, economically rich city-state with well-developed infrastructure and excellent accommodation, and differences, particularly regarding cultural diversity, airport quality, and the variety of tourist attractions. The report concludes that while perceptions vary, media representations generally provide a more accurate reflection of Singapore's image, highlighting its transformation into a global hub with diverse offerings.

Running Head: CRITICAL ANALYSIS OF DESTINATION IMAGE REPORT 1
Critical Analysis of Destination Image Report
Student’s Name
Professor’s Name
Course
Date

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Executive summary
Different people have a different view of perception when it comes to a tourist
destination. This paper analyzes three different interviews conducted on William Angliss
Institute students to determine their perception regarding Singapore as a destination. The paper
also samples the image of Singapore as portrayed by the media both locally and internationally.
The interviewees’ perception and the media representation are compared to determine the
similarities. The differences are also discussed and the true facts are established through the
evaluation of the existing literature materials.
Introduction
Different people tour the world for different reasons. Every tourist destination has its
unique tourist attraction sites and centres that people find fascinating. Just to mention a few
reasons for people to tour around the world, they do it for pleasure, to study and experience other
people’s cultures, for school studies, for business and job assignments among other reasons.
Singapore has been known to host dozens of thousands of tourist each year. This is due to
its geographic location, physical and man-made features that exist, home of diverse cultures
among other reasons. People have different perceptions about how they view different
destinations around the world. This is due to people’s differences in preferences, cultures,
imaginations, and prejudice. This report, therefore, samples different perceptions different people
have when it comes to Singapore as a destination. This report also takes the view of how media
represent Singapore through use of videos, movies and other literature. Perceptions and
representations are compared to draw up conclusions covered in this paper.

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Interviews Summary
This section of the paper contains a summary of interviews conducted to determine
different people's perspectives regarding Singapore as a tourist destination. The interviews were
done randomly and this section covers a summary of three responses of people who have never
gone to Singapore. The interviewees are students of William Angliss Institute who participated
in the research practice. The questions asked involved the general knowledge about the
destination. The knowledge sought for was on Singapore’s location, accommodation available
for guests, its economy and infrastructure, cultural diversity and attraction features that exist.
According to the first interviewee, Singapore is a single island located in southern part of
Asia neighbouring Thailand and Vietnam. The perspective on culture was that Singapore is
occupied by one single ethnic group who are the natives of the land. The interviewee’s
perception on attraction features were that the city-state does not have many physical features as
it is a small island. The country however has many man-made features that act as tourist
attraction sites. The interviewee also stated that the state must be having good accommodation
for its guests attributing this to the rich economy. The country has many sand beaches due to its
location which is surrounded by the ocean in all sides. Singapore being a small country, there is
no need to have a big international airport as the population to be served is little.
The second interviewee was quite informed about Singapore and had many facts about
the destination. Singapore is made up of many islands each with unique features that attract
tourists. It is located in Asia and it is one degree south of equator which makes it experience
tropical climate. This means that the temperature is favourable for a person from any part of the
world as it is average. It is a multicultural land with people from different cultures converging to
Singapore. It has fascinating physical features that can be toured including the islands, sandy

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beaches among others. The city is rich in history as evidenced by old buildings in the city which
were constructed as early as 1852. The country has one of the best infrastructures around the
world which makes moving from one place easy and convenient. Singapore may, however, lack
nature parks since it is a city-state where vegetation might be scarce. The city-state may also lack
wild animals as most of the wild animals reside in parks with intense vegetation. Much of the
tourist attraction sites in Singapore are manmade as the country covers a small geographical area
that is not able to host most of the physical features. Activities such as ice surfing, hiking, and
mountain climbing may lack due to features that exist and the State's climate.
The third interviewee also had a different perception pertaining Singapore. Her
perception was that Singapore is a small city-state in Asia which is one of the richest countries in
terms of economy. This is supposed to mean that streets are filled with expensive cars and
fascinating buildings everywhere. The country has shopping malls with one of the best brand
collections in the world. The city has one of the best accommodations available for guests as it is
expected of any tourist destination. The infrastructure of the country is well developed
considering the country’s economy which makes the mobility in the city easy. The population in
this city-state is average to small which eliminates traffic congestion. This population also
reflects less cultural diversity. The city-state has bays, beaches, nature parks, and other public
spaces. Wildlife and conducive climate to visit any time of the year makes it a great tourist
destination.
Media Representation Summary
Singapore has historic structures which give a brief history of the country. One of the
historic cultures represented is the Araminta and Chimjmes which is a heritage building
constructed in 1852 by the Catholic convent. This is a beautiful site which will is educational and

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nice to tour. There also exist leisure gardens and other public places where one can relax and
enjoy the cool breeze. Some of the gardens highlighted in most media representations are
gardens by the bay, Marina Bay stands and Sentosa Island (Singaporeexpats.com, 2018 n.p).
Singapore is a land of one of the best airports serving over 100 airlines. This is a clear
representation of the number of people visiting the country at any given time. Singapore is a
beautiful city-state with modern buildings that are so attractive. These buildings range from
skyscrapers to perfectly well-designed normal buildings that are good for the eye at daytime and
also at night. Singapore is represented to be a home for diverse cultures. These cultures have
different practices and activities that offer a great experience to the visitors. They also have
delicious foods that will make any person eager to try and have the feeling. It offers a wide range
of options to enjoy this from street food to Michelin-starred restaurants (Stb.gov.sg, 2016).
Singapore is a home of wildlife which adds on to the diversity. The city also has an Oasis
within the city which is a fascinating site. In addition to this, the city also offers natural
experience to the visitors by the presence of gardens which are very attractive (Hynes, 2018 n.p).
Singapore is made up of several islands with each island offering a unique feature. This gives
rise to many beaches and bays that attract dozens of people to visit this destination. This offers
many leisure activities such as boat riding, surfing and swimming among many other activities.
Construction of international harbours boosts the country’s economy. The country has performed
tremendously in building its economy from a third world country to a first world country
(Stb.gov.sg, 2016 3-44).
Singapore has an improved infrastructure which enables mobility around the city in a
cost-efficient way. The existence of modern trains that traverse all corners of Singapore gives a
variety of places to visit as the destination. For shopping lovers, Singapore is a home for many

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shopping malls among other shopping joints. These malls offer the worlds’ best brands, local and
international in all areas that involve shopping (Whitworth, 2016 n.p).
Comparison of Perceptions and Media Representation
This section of the paper compares the interviews on perception on Singapore as a tourist
destination to the media representation of the destination. Critical analysis is done to determine
similarities and the differences in the comparison. This section of the paper, therefore, states the
similarities and discusses the differences to determine facts about the destination.
The three interviewees perceived Singapore as a small city-state with a rich economy.
They were all able to state that Singapore is in Asia with the second interviewee going an extra
mile of giving the location in reference to the equator. Information collected from the three
students stated that Singapore is surrounded by the ocean which makes it an Island. This is in
line with the media representation as it is evident in the files that Singapore is indeed a small
city-state which has been transformed from a third world country to a first world country. It lies
one degree on the north of the equator in southern part of Asia. It is composed of one Main
Island and sixty-two other islets that make up the whole of Singapore (Singaporeexpats.com,
2018 n.p).
The other similarity noted in the interviewees' perceptions and the media representations
are the well-developed infrastructure. The state has an intensive road network that covers all the
parts of the country. It has a railway network with modern trains operating at all times of the day
which makes transportation even easier. This makes movement of people from one part of the
city to the other easy and efficient. The destination has no traffic congestion due to its well-
developed infrastructure and low population.

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The other similarity in perception and representation is the excellent accommodation
facilities that the city offers to its guests. This was stated by all the three interviewees which has
also been confirmed by media representation. Accommodation in this destination caters for
people from different walks of life where any guest can afford (Stb.gov.sg, 2016 3-44).
There exist few differences in perceptions and representations which can be attributed to
the fact that the interviewees had never had a chance to visit the destination. One difference is
regarding the airport which serves international flights in Singapore. There were varying
perceptions where the second interviewer doubted the existence of a world-class airport. Media
representations state that Singapore owns one of the best airports in the world serving more than
one hundred airlines around the world. The country also owns port of Singapore which holds the
title of maritime capital (Stb.gov.sg, 2016).
The other difference that is evident is the cultural diversity in Singapore. Varying
perceptions of the interviewees were a clear indication that they think Singapore is a single-
cultural state. Media representations, however, point out that Singapore is a home for many
cultures. This can be evidenced by the existence of restaurants serving delicacies of different
cultures around the world. Facts state that 39% of the total population is made up of foreign
nationals (Singaporeexpats.com, 2018 n.p).
The other difference in the perceptions and media representations is the existence of
diverse attraction features. Singapore is home to many tourist attraction features ranging from
historical features, physical features, and man-made features. Examples to this are the Marina
bay sands, gardens by the bay, wildlife in zoo and parks, Singapore flyers among other features
(Hynes, 2018 n.p).

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Conclusion
It is clear that different people have different perceptions regarding Singapore as a
destination. Some of these perceptions are a close reflection of how Singapore is while others do
not really reflect the image of the destination. Different media gives a clearer picture of
Singapore as a true reflection of its image in the eyes of the world. There is a close relation to of
perceptions of people who have never been in this country and the image portrayed by the media.
This can be attributed to the various forms of accessing information through the use of modern
technology.
It is evident in this report that there is more than meets the eye when it comes to
Singapore as a tourist destination. The diverse culture, the historical features, the geography and
the geographical position of the country are just but a few attractions that may lead people to
visit Singapore. Conclusions made from perceptions therefore may be a true reflection of the
destination only to a small percentage.

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References
Hynes, C. (2018). 16 Top-Rated Tourist Attractions in Singapore - The 2018 Guide |
PlanetWare. Retrieved from https://www.planetware.com/tourist-attractions/singapore-
sin.htm n.p
Singaporeexpats.com. (2018). About Singapore • History, Facts, Culture & Language, Climate &
Location. Retrieved from https://www.singaporeexpats.com/about-singapore/about-
singapore.htm n.p
Stb.gov.sg. (2016). Marketing Strategy: of stories fans and channels. Retrieved from
https://www.stb.gov.sg/assistance-and-licensing/Documents/Marketing_Strategy-
Of_Stories_Fans_and_Channels.pdf p3-44
Whitworth, R. (2016). Welcome to Singapore. Retrieved from https://vimeo.com/167270801