GP ESSAY PRESENTATION

TOPIC: OTHERS

Lim Zi Kun 12S03C

The tourist does not see the country the inhabitants know. How
far is this true of Singapore? (GCE A Level 2005 Question 8)

Question words: How far is this true

Definitions:
Tourist-Someone who travels and stays in the place for
a maximum of a year
Inhabitants- Residents living in a location for a
substantial period of time
Context: Singapore
The tourist does not see the country the inhabitants know. How
far is this true of Singapore? (GCE A Level 2005 Question 8)

Possible errors in approach

Mere descriptions of tourists and inhabitants views of
the country
Narrowing the scope of knowledge of the people on
the country to only the physical aspect, without taking in
other areas such as social issues
Introduction
Tourism plays the role of a major contributor in
Singapores economy
11,638,663 tourists were attracted to visit Singapore in
2010
Singapores diverse mixture of races, religion,
social and economic backgrounds could lead to
differing viewpoints of tourists and local inhabitants
Thesis 1: True
Local societal problems are often elusive to the tourists as a
result of a positively crafted portrayal of the country
Much effort is placed to promote the country in good light and
leave a positive impression on tourists for boost of tourism
industry
Destination branding of Uniquely Singapore from 2004 to 2009
and YourSingapore in 2010
International events such as F1 racing and International Monetary
Fund (IMF) Meeting 2006 where 100,000 flowers and shrubs were
used to beautify the landscape
Business climate- Singapore ranked No. 1 in the world in ease of
doing business and No. 2 in protecting investors, according to the
World Bank Group's annual rankings for 2009 and 2010.
Thesis 1: True
Widening income gap present and that some people
fall through the cracks as the countrys economy grows
not seen
Singapore, according to the 2009 UN report, had a Gini
coefficient of 42.5, exceeded only by Hong Kong (43.4)
among the countries with very high human development
Cost of living in Singapore was ranked 78 of 239 in an ECA
International Survey conducted
Thesis 2: True
The tourist does not understand the progress made
in the country from its early years
Negative commentaries of Singapore
The Little Red Dot - Former Indonesian President
Bacharuddin Jusuf (B.J.) Habibies comment, hinting at
Singapores incapability
A government system where the people are too law-abiding
and people are apathetic about political issues; people are
led by their noses and the system is not democratic
Thesis 2: True
Progress made and prosperity attained as result of
consistent efforts of people and leadership
Under the Peoples Action Party (PAP), Singapore created
what may be called an economic miracle. Within 46 years
of independence, Singapore has become a prosperous
nation ranked 25th of 177 nations in the Human
Development Index
Anti-Thesis 1: False
There are similarities and truths in what tourists see
at face value
Singapore as a Garden City
With lush greenery that lines the streets and roads and Tree
Planting Campaigns from 1963, Singapore definitely lives
up to its name
Singapore as a safe living environment
Singapores overall crime reported has fallen by 0.6% (200
cases) from 33,186 cases in 2009 to 32,986 cases in 2010.
Anti-Thesis 2: False
The heritage and culture of the country may be
learnt via various channels
With increased accessibility to the Internet, tourists may
gain information easily about the place of visit
Museums, guided tours can increase knowledge of
country
NationalHeritage Board and National Museum of
Singapore
Duck & Hippo Tours
Singapore Heartlands Trail Shop and Eat Tour
Counter argument to Anti-Thesis

The knowledge attained from guided tours may not

be translated into understanding
Day-to-day habits and way of life is not
communicated or shown
Conclusion
To a large extent true
It is not possible for a tourist to have full understanding of
the country based on isolated experiences or sightings
Instead, only by living among the local community and time
would allow attainment of understanding and insights into
country
Not only applies to Singapore, but to any other country as
well
Though fact may be that Singapore being a small island allows
for tourist to tour the island well in a days time