Small is Beautiful for Tourism Compass 2020

The Singapore Tourism Board has just launched a new initiative called Tourism Compass 2020 for Singapore residents and visitors to share their ideas and views for Singapore’s tourism industry by 2020, and contribute to shaping the future of Singapore’s tourism scene.

If you have an idea for the tourism industry, whether it’s promoting our wild places, encouraging ecotourism or making the tourism industry greener, register at the Tourism Compass 2020 website and contribute your ideas before 31 Jan 2010.

Here’s our idea contribution:

SMALL IS BEAUTIFUL

Allow visitors to experience everything small in Singapore, understand how it permeates through everything we do, and learn how we turn it to our advantage.

Every shopping experience in big shopping malls around the world is becoming similar with the same global brands. Why compete with other countries on big shopping malls? Focus instead on small businesses in traditional shophouses. Emphasise the unique experience browsing in a quiet small shop with sustainable, simple, individualised, or one-of-a-kind stuff you cannot find in big malls. It is not about shopping but about exploration – searching for meaning and connection through stuff. Encourage businesses in the small shops to make stuff by hand, to reuse waste materials, to be green in their operations and make green stuff, to turn products into services, or to involve customers in the production of stuff. Nurture green consumers and prosumers.

Singapore cannot compete with other countries on spectacular natural landscape. But we can compete on the rich biodiversity of our flora and fauna. Forsake the building of large artificial gardens and landscapes that are devoid of indigenous species. Focus instead on the biodiversity in our natural habitats. Explore the diverse small species of plants, animals, insects and marine life that make up an ecosystem. Emphasise the easy accessibility and fragility of these small spaces. Protect and cherish them so that visitors can exclaim and wonder how such natural treasures can be found in highly urbanised Singapore.

Singapore does not have the luxury of land, which means we cannot build more bigger tourist attractions. Forget about big luxury tourist spots. Think small quirky mashups. An island attraction that serves as a landfill and as a nature conservation and recreation spot. A Buddhist temple attraction that serves as a cultural and religious experience, and as a showcase of green features such as solar panels, wind turbines and micro hydropower.

Image source: Tourism Compass 2020