Urban Tourism Report: Tourist Impact on Singapore's Gardens by Bay

This report provides an in-depth analysis of urban tourism, focusing on Singapore and the Gardens by the Bay. It begins with an introduction to urban tourism, defining key concepts and frameworks. The report examines the economic, social, and environmental impacts of tourism, including costs and benefits, and discusses urban gentrification and tourist typologies. It details the research methods employed, including fieldwork, survey design, and data analysis techniques such as descriptive and inferential statistics, correlation analysis, and regression. The findings from the tourist surveys are presented, offering insights into tourist characteristics and their perceptions. The report concludes by summarizing the key findings and their implications for urban tourism management in Singapore, supported by references and appendices, including the questionnaire used in the study. This report is a result of a course assignment for the BSc (Hons) International Tourism and Hospitality Management program.

Running head: URBAN TOURISM
URBAN TOURISM
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

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Executive Summary
The report is based on the concept of Urban Tourism. The main objective of the paper is to find
the relationship which exists between the tourist visit to the Garden by Bay in the Singapore and
its overall social, economic and the environmental impact on the country. The paper follows a
systematic format whereby the introduction throws light on the concept of the Urban tourism
which is then followed by an analysis of the field framework. The research methods used have
been described and this is then followed by the analysis of the responses of various tourists
collected with the help of a survey. The findings from the analysis has been discussed and the
study has been summarized in the Conclusion chapter.

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Table of Contents
Introduction......................................................................................................................................4
Urban cities in the World.............................................................................................................4
Urban city, Singapore..................................................................................................................4
Stakeholders.................................................................................................................................5
Nature of urban tourism...............................................................................................................6
Urban city impacts /costs and benefits........................................................................................6
Costs involved.............................................................................................................................6
Benefits........................................................................................................................................7
Urban city gentrification..............................................................................................................7
Tourist typologies........................................................................................................................8
Nature and role of specific component of tourism product.........................................................9
Research aim................................................................................................................................9
Research Question.......................................................................................................................9
Concept/ Framework.....................................................................................................................10
Fieldwork research method............................................................................................................10
Research Design........................................................................................................................10
Research Approach....................................................................................................................11
Data collection method..............................................................................................................11
Data analysis method.................................................................................................................11

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Data analysis/Findings and Discussion and Results......................................................................12
Descriptive Statistics.................................................................................................................12
Inferential Statistics...................................................................................................................17
Correlation analysis...................................................................................................................17
Regression..................................................................................................................................19
Findings.....................................................................................................................................20
Discussion..................................................................................................................................21
Conclusion.....................................................................................................................................21
References......................................................................................................................................23
Appendix........................................................................................................................................25
Questionnaire.............................................................................................................................25

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Introduction
Urban cities in the World
The Urban cities around the globe can be described as those cities which have a large
population and a variety of benefits which make the cities desirable to live in. The largest cities
around the globe can be essentially understood to be Tokyo, which is then followed by India,
Shanghai, Sao Paulo and Mumbai (af Wåhlberg 2017). These cities are one of the largest
metropolitan cities. The cities are blessed with large population and additionally have various
amenities which can be offered to the different people living in the cities. Due to this attraction,
the cities can be taken to be major tourist spots and in consideration to this often face both
positive as well as negative impacts of urban life. The country which has been focused in this
paper is the Singapore (Barata-Salgueiro ,Mendes and Guimarães 2017). The city ranks 64th in
the 150 largest metropolitan areas around the globe.
Urban city, Singapore
The Singapore which is also popularly known as the Republic of Singapore can be taken
to be a sovereign island city state present in the Southeast Asia. The country is located in
Southeast Asia. The country is present one degree north of the latitudinal equator at the southern
tip of the Malay Peninsula. The territory of the city comprises of one main island along with
other island sets (Bhati and Pearce 2017). Extensive land reclamation strategies have led to an
increase in the land size by 23%. The modern Singapore was found in the year 1819 by Sir
Stamford Raffles as a trading point of the British East India Company. The country was
separated in 1965 and became a sovereign state. Although the city had faced turbulence in its
early years and lacked the natural resources to perform well, the nation began to develop rapidly
as an Asian Tiger economy and started gaining popularity based on the workforce. The city has
been labeled as the Alpha+ global city which means that the city has a considerable impact on
the global economy. The country of Singapore can be considered to be a highly developed
country and is ranked as the 9th on the United Nations Human development Index which is the
highest in Asia (Visitsingapore.com 2019). The country also has the 7th highest GDP and was
ranked as the most expensive city to live in from the year 2013 to the year 2019 by the
Economist. The Singapore as a city is also identified as a tax haven. The city tends to perform
exceptionally well in the parameters related to the healthcare, education, quality of life and other

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home ownership indicators as well as strategies. The Singaporeans also enjoy the longest life
expectancy and the lowest infant mortality rates. The passport of the city can be ranked as the
best one in the world and the city is the home to 5.6 million residents present around the globe
40% of whom are foreign nationals. The official languages are Tamil, English, Mandarin
Chinese and Malay (Visitsingapore.com 2019). The Singapore can be taken to be a culturally
diverse country and the Multiracialism has been a striking component of the country.
There are several tourist attractions which are exceptionally famous and some of these
comprise of the Gardens by the Bay, the Sentosa Island, the Orchard Road and the Jewel Changi
Airport and the Singapore Zoo. The country is a unitary parliamentary republic which functions
as an essentially flawed democracy. The country is a part of various international conferences as
well as the events. The country is also a member of various movements like the Non Aligned
Movement, the East Asia Summit and the Commonwealth of Nations.
Stakeholders
Stakeholders form an integrated part of any economy and in relation to this, it becomes
very integral for any organization or association to see to it that they look after the needs of the
different stakeholders before undertaking any key decisions. The various stakeholders of the
Singapore can be taken to be as follows:
 Industry partners: The Industry Partners are considered to be the key stakeholders as
these Industry partners often fund the different activities of the enterprise. In addition to
this, these Industry partners form a key part of the overall growth of the economy and
hence, they have a stake in the welfare of the country and the city.
 Government: The Government can also be considered to be one of the critical
stakeholders of the country. The Government is the key manager of the various
operations and in regard to this, it can be rightfully mentioned that the government has a
considerate stake in the enterprise as well (af Wåhlberg 2017).
 Citizens: The citizens of the country are the primary stakeholders of the enterprise and
with relation to this, it can be mentioned that, it is the duty of the country or the city to

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see to it that they are being able to manage the operations well because of the welfare of
the citizens (Bhati and Pearce 2017).
Nature of urban tourism
Urban city impacts /costs and benefits
Although the urban cities are perceived as attractive places, the costs of managing an
urban city can be considered to be very high even though the benefits are present. In the given
section, certain costs of the Urban cities shall be examined well with the benefits of the cities.
Costs involved
Cost of Maintenance
When the cities become urban in nature then in such a case, the cost of maintenance of
these cities also experiences a rise. This can be essentially identified in the case of the Singapore
who was bound to experience large costs in order to maintain the overall operational efficiency
of the city.
Cost of Amenities
The costs of the amenities also go up to a great extent in regard to the maintenance of an
urban space. Developing an urban space means that the area needs to be provided with adequate
facilities with the help of which, the urban areas will essentially be able to continue the overall
operations (Colantonio 2017). Therefore, considering this, the facilities need to be up to a
specific standard.
Cost of Security
The security in case of the urban spaces have to be improved as well. As these urban
spaces end up becoming a major tourist attraction, it is critical to consider that, they are given an
essential opportunity to protect the place and hence, the cost of security is a major cost which is
incurred.
Opportunity costs

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The opportunity costs are the costs of letting go of a former service or activity to engage
in the new service or the activity. In this case, it can be essentially mentioned that, if the area had
not been an Urban space then it could have been used for some other service or amenity.
Benefits
The various benefits of the Urban spaces can be mentioned to be as follows:
Better social life of the citizens
The first benefit of the urban cities can be defined as the better social life of the citizens.
The urban cities form a hub and it is with respect to this that it helps in creating a better social
life for the different citizens present. Hence, in consideration to this, it becomes critical to
understand that, an urban city essentially facilitates a better life.
Improved economy
An urban city is a hub for various activities and local businesses and therefore contributes
to a better social life for the different individuals present in the city (Colantonio 2017). It
facilitates higher purchase power and better buying capacity as well.
Better service facilities
The service facilities in the urban cities are much between to the reason that these places
are often the tourist attractions and a large number of people live in the city. Hence, the different
citizens in the country often have access to better service facilities.
Better employment opportunities
The employment opportunities available in the country can also be considered to be
better. This means that as the urban cities provide better investment opportunities and related
services, they tend to be the hub for between employment chances.
Exposure to various cultures
The urban cities act as an exposure to the different cultures. As individuals from a varied
background tend to live in the city, Singapore stands as an exposure to a large number of
cultures.

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Urban city gentrification
The Gentrification can be rightfully described as the phenomenon whereby wealthy
people often arrive in the country or a city thereby leading to an increase in the rents and the
property values as well as a change in the urban city`s culture and personality. Although the term
is mostly used negatively which stands for the replacement of the local communities and the
replacement by the rich outsiders (García-Hernández, de la Calle-Vaquero and Yubero 2017).
The impact of gentrification can be considered to be complex in nature and the real impacts tend
to vary to a great extent. Although the gentrification procedure is often considered to be desirable
in nature, it is essential to note that it leads to a disproportionate and the established residents
who are already present often find themselves to be socially and economically marginalized
(Rogerson 2017). The several changes which characterize the gentrification can be mentioned to
be as follows:
 Demographics: The demographics of the population changes and there is an increase in
the income and a decline in the racial minorities (Pirie 2017). The low incomed group
families are generally replaced by the young couples along with the young singles.
 Real estate market: The real estate markets start flourishing and there is an increase in the
rents, the home prices, and new development procedures of the luxury housing.
 Land use: The gentrification brings about a decline in the industrial uses, an increase in
the multimedia uses and the development of lofts.
Tourist typologies
There are various different types of tourists which generally tend to visit a country or
city. In this section, the Smith`s Tourist Typology will be essentially making use of in order to
see to it that the different categories of the tourists can be identified and examined. The various
tourists are as follows:
 Explorers: These tourists ae the explorers who want to wander to new destinations and
are willing to take up culture and the lifestyle of the different hosts who are present. They
tend to live as active participants.
 Elite tourists: The elite tourists are those tourists who are rarely seen and then tend to take
up pre-arranged facilities and adapt to the norms on a temporary basis.

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 Offbeat tourists: The off-beat tourists can be described as those tourists who often break
the bonds and go beyond it in order to see to it that they are being able to enjoy the real
life of the citizens of the tourist destination (García-Hernández, de la Calle-Vaquero and
Yubero 2017).
 Unusual tourists: The unusual tourists can be mentioned to be the tourists who are
occasional in number and like to be organized in a tour. Additionally, they have an
optional limited tour which helps them in seeing to it that they will be able to travel
accordingly.
 Incipient mass tourist: The incipient mass tourist are the ones who generally tend to travel
for the western amenities and comfort. Hence, in regard to this, they are easily satisfied
(Lim and Bouchon 2017).
 Mass tourists: The mass tourists are those tourists who belong to the middle incomed
group and they generally prefer to visit in the different groups.
 Charter tourists: The charter tourists can be mentioned to be those tourists who have
minimal involvement in the culture of the country or to engage in a conversation with the
people. These individuals generally demand the western amenities.
Nature and role of specific component of tourism product
Product authenticity and Product regeneration
With respect to the product authenticity and the product regeneration it can be rightfully
mentioned that the study is aimed towards Singapore Gardens by the Bay and hence, the product
is highly authentic (Koens 2017). The Garden by the bay has been present in Singapore since a
long time and has been a popular tourist destination. Additionally, the destination is popular and
is regularly visited by various tourists.
Research aim
To find the social, economic and environmental impact of tourist visit to Garden by the
Bay in Singapore.
Research Question
What is the social, economic and environmental impact of tourist visit to Garden by the
Bay in Singapore?

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Concept/ Framework
The study is aimed at identifying the economic , environmental and social impacts of the
tourists visits to the Singapore Garden by the Bay. Hence, the following framework will be
essentially made use of to understand the impact.
Figure 1: The Research Framework
(As created by the author)
Fieldwork research method
In this section, the details about the methods in which the research will be collected will
be identified and specified. This section shall form the framework for the data analysis and the
findings as well as the discussion and the results chapter.
Research Design
The research design can be mentioned to be the overall strategy which is required to be
adopted for the study (Kumar 2019). In line with this, it helps to determine the various
components which are essentially adopted in the research and additionally assists in determining
the way in which the blue print for the study is adopted and how the research problem is tackled.
Urban tourists
Economic
Social
Envrionment
Singapore Garden
by Bay

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The research design which has been adopted for the study is the Deductive research design. In
this research design, information is deduced from the data which is collected (Ledford and Gast
2018). In this type of a research design, the study will be focused towards finding the manner in
which the Singapore Garden by Bay will be affected in terms of social, environmental and
economic point of view (Quinlan et al. 2019).
Research Approach
The research approach as well as procedure can be essentially described as the broad
assumptions which are undertaken about the study. The research approach which is being
adopted for the study is the quantitative research approach (Flick 2015). The research approach
will be primarily focused towards finding the opinions of the various customers whose opinion
will be taken in order to understand the impact on the Singapore Garden by Bay.
Data collection method
The data collection can be rightfully considered to be the process of gathering the
information for the purpose of the research (Ledford and Gast 2018). Additionally, it is integral
to ensure that the data collection component of the research is largely focused on making use of
the primary and the secondary sources of the research in order to provide answers to the
research study as present. Hence, the data collection method which is being adopted for the
study is the primary data collection method. In this data collection method, the responses of the
various tourists needs to be collected and these responses will be assessed and analyzed using
quantitative methods (Mackey and Gass 2015).
Data analysis method
The data analysis method can be rightfully defined as the method of understanding the
data which has been collected previously (Kumar 2019). The data analysis method which has
been adopted for the study can be stated to be the quantitative data analysis method. In relation to
this, the quantitative statistical tools will be made use of in order to understand the impact on the
destination from the perspective of the visits made by the different tourists (Flick 2015). The
reason why this data analysis method is being considered to be appropriate for the research can
be mentioned to be the fact that it will throw light on the manner in which the study will be