Analysis of Supertree Grove, Singapore: Tourism and Environment

This report provides an analysis of the Supertree Grove in Singapore, a major tourist attraction within Gardens by the Bay. It explores the grove's design, including the Supertrees, the OCBC skywalk, and the sustainable energy systems implemented. The report details the regular events hosted, such as the light and sound shows and the various festivals like the Mid-Autumn Festival, Children's Festival and Singapore National Day, highlighting their impact on tourism. It also examines the flora and fauna present and the overall visitor experience. The report references key academic sources to support its analysis, providing a comprehensive overview of the Supertree Grove's role in tourism and environmental management.

Running head: MANAGING THE ENVIRONMENT FOR TOURISM AND EVENTS
Managing the Environment for Tourism and Events
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1MANAGING THE ENVIRONMENT FOR TOURISM AND EVENTS
Supertree grove Singapore
Supertree Grove in Singapore is one of the main tourist attractions. It is a part of
Gardens by the Bay (Visitor Information., 2019). The structures are built resembling large
canopies of trees that provide shade during the daytime. At night, these canopies provide
impressive light and sound show. There are total 18 Supertrees in the Garden of the Bay
among which 12 of them are located in the Supertree Grove (Gulsrud & Ooi, 2014). Their
height ranges between 25 to 50 meters. The tallest of them all is almost 16 stories high. In the
grove, two of the Supertrees are connected through a 128 meter long skywalk that gives a
spectacular and panoramic view of the Garden, the technological marvel that the garden is. It
is also a great place for taking pictures of the flora that are displayed there. The trees are
installed with sustainable energy harvest systems like photovoltaic cells so that the energy
supply needed for the towers does not damage the environment.
The OCBC skywalk that creates the main attraction for the Supertree Grove was
created in order to give the visitors the feel of walking on the air (Walliss & Rahmann, 2015).
The main regular event that takes place in the Grove is the aerial walk during the day and
light and sound in the evening. The trees have 68 audio speakers each. The towers hold
Garden Rhapsody shows periodically where these speakers are used to amplify the sounds of
the performance. The regular light and sound show goes on for one hour. During the day, the
visitors can look at more than 200 species of flora that are planted all around the Grove as
well as around the trunks of the Supertrees in order to give them a natural look (Wang, Wood
& Teo, 2016). The aerial walkway provides a 360 degree view of the garden, the Marina Bay
Sands and the Singapore Flyer, creating a once in a lifetime experience for the visitors. The
Supertree Groves is also equipped with a full time restaurant complex that serves delectable
different cuisine throughout the day.

2MANAGING THE ENVIRONMENT FOR TOURISM AND EVENTS
The most important festival time for Singapore is the Mid-Autumn festival and many
events are celebrated in the Supertree grove during that time. During the time of festivals
several participatory events like, lantern calligraphy, orchid painting, mooncake creation and
photo exhibitions. The mooncakes and lanterns are important part of Singapore’s Mid-
Autumn festival and thousands of people come each year to celebrate the festival in the
Supertree Grove. They also hold lantern riddle to engage the visitors. The Supertree grove
also celebrates Children’s festival, spring festival or the Chinese New Year. This place also
attracts tourists during the Singapore National Day (Lindsay & Middleton, 2018). On this
day, parade takes place at Marina Bay and in the evening there is a firework show in the
Singapore Flyer, both of which are clearly visible from the aerial walkway of Supertree
Groves. All these aspects make the Supertree Groves an important attraction for the locals as
well as the tourists. The aerial restaurant also adds to the uniqueness of the experience.

3MANAGING THE ENVIRONMENT FOR TOURISM AND EVENTS
References
Gulsrud, N. M., & Ooi, C. S. (2014). Manufacturing green consensus: urban greenspace
governance in Singapore. In Urban Forests, Trees, and Greenspace (pp. 95-110).
Routledge.
Lindsay, S., & Middleton, D. (2018). THE GARDENS OF SINGAPORE–ENTHUSING
AND EDUCATING THE PUBLIC IN THE WORLD OF PLANTS. Sibbaldia: the
Journal of Botanic Garden Horticulture, (16), 169-177.
Visitor Information. (2019). Retrieved 12 September 2019, from
https://www.gardensbythebay.com.sg/en/attractions/supertree-grove-ocbc-skyway/
visitor-information.html
Walliss, J., & Rahmann, H. (2015). Designing the twenty-first century urban park: design
strategies for a warming climate. In Living and Learning: Research for a Better Built
Environment: 49th International Conference of the Architectural Science
Association (pp. 869-878).
Wang, C., Wood, L. C., & Teo, L. T. (2016). Tropical vertical greenery systems: Irrigation
systems, biophysical characteristics, and influential criteria. Journal of Green
Building, 11(4), 57-90.