Singapore Flyer

Introduction Our groups choice of affection is the capital of capital of capital of Singapore note (FIG. 1). Endorsed by the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) and open on 25th April 2008, the flyer stands at 165m in height and was strengthened at a cost of S$240 million. It is ranked 19 protrude of 276 attractivenesss in Singapore on TripAdvisor and is mavin of the attractions that make up the encounter Singapore Pass. A General Assessment of the Singapore placardWith seed to Butlers Tourism Area Cycle of Evolution theory (1980), the peak is in all probability to be at the development stage (third stage) as it has established itself as a well-known paid tourer attraction with sharp planning and strategies purported to attract tourists. Visitor arrivals in 2010 were 30% higher than in 2009, largely due to the handbills $10 million master plan that involved the launch of the Singapore viands leash and the Journey of Dreams interactive gallery1. However, it has simila rwise faced much lit crit for its perceived lack of genuineness and dilution of topical anesthetic culture.For example, the Singapore Food Trail (FIG. 2) clear be considered a form of constructed authenticity2 it has a themed interior design and setting from the past as well as makeshift horse barn along the roadside, all of which brings back the nostalgic feel and charm of Singapore in the 1960s. This shows how the visor has sought to keep up with The Tourist who demands authenticity and associated feelings of nostalgia for the natural past (GE2218 Lecture 5, 2013) There are multiple reasons to formulate why this attraction was opened.Firstly, the Flyer is one of a few advantage points that offer both locals and tourists a 360o panoramic view of the cityscape. Secondly, it was to be a revenue-generating attraction for the government as 50% of visitors were expected to be tourists with S$94 million in tourism receipts generated in its opening night year. Third, as the Flyer is similarly styled to the capital of the United Kingdom Eye (London being an alpha++ city3), opening it could be viewed as a political and economic intercommunicate to the rest of the world that not only is Singapore a starring(p) world city, it is likewise an attractive place for foreign investment.According to Ms muggins Ong4, the opening of Singapore Flyer heralds a newfangled age for tourism in Singapore the unique and exhilarating efflorescence-of-the-world experience makes Singapore Flyer a must-see and compelling visitor destination in Asia. Fourth, the Flyer provides Singapore with an iconic landmark that can be recognized internationally, more than so when set amidst a necklace of attractions such as the iconic Marina Bay smooth Integrated Resort next door.The Flyer serves those who wish to take in Singapores cityscape from an aerial view as well as those who want to eat and shop before or after taking the attraction. It tries to cater to a range of age groups, socio-economic back grounds and nationalities. Examples include having student discounts on certain days, family packages, infrastructure that support wheelchair users, multiple restaurants and shops as well as a recreated Rainforest garden (FIG. 3) that provides visitors with a elaborate tropical feel.However, despite trying to stay inclusive by give to the mainstream crowd, m each still feel the Flyer just the tickets are too expensive5 it is thusly super likely that people from lower-income groups are priced out and excluded6. The Flyer attracts a range of visitors although the bulk of people there were tourists7. According to one of the supply at XD Experiential Ride, visitors to the Flyer comprise largely of tourist families and couples. Couples ordinarily visit at night mend the weekends see in general families.Generally, the labyrinthine was observed to be largely empty on a weekday afternoon (FIG. 4). Times of day as well as suffer has a great influence on when people visit most visitors favour to view the cityscape at night while bad weather limits uttermost enjoyment of the ride. Numerous people such as retail and F&B staff, maintenance staff and security staff work at the Flyer with majority of them involved in the security department. SWOT analytic thinking Chart The SWOT synopsis chart (FIG. 5) will be apply to evaluate theStrengths,Weaknesses,Opportunities andThreats involved in the Singapore Flyer.Identification of the Flyers SWOTs are essential as they inform later steps in achieving its eventual(prenominal) objective to attract more tourists and to increase tourist revenues. Strengths The Singapore Flyer claims the title as the worlds largest observation wheel it is a landscape of spectacle8 by virtue of its sheer size and distinction and is also visually effective and stimulating. Its air-conditioned capsules make it suitable for tourists who are unused to Singapores tropical heat.Through branding, the Flyer sets itself apart as a world-class lifestyle destination of choice for visitors, offering the best views and fab dining9 all in spite of appearance the same complex (FIG. 6). Joint promotions with retail shops fit(p) within the complex are also carried out (FIG. 7). The Flyer is highly accessible by public transport, a necessity as it is likely to be the main mode of transport for tourists. The attraction is directly associate to Promenade MRT station while free shuttle buses operate either half hour to and from City Hall MRT station.Coach bays for tour buses are also available (FIG. 8). The Flyer also take advantages on its good Chi or fengshui with its Signature Auspicious Trail that promises to harness the right Chi or the cohesive flow of position energy that guarantees prosperity, good fortune and longevity. 10 This makes it more attractive to the Asian tourist market where many remain benignant and who believe in collecting good fengshui. In addition, the Flyer actively markets it self to a global audience through link-ups with tour agencies, Singapore Airlines, and schools. WeaknessesThe Flyer lacks originality with some viewing it as a copycat version of the London Eye. Staged authenticity (Edensor, 2009) is evident in the Flyers offerings of bite-sized and packaged Singaporean facets an appropriated artificial Food Trail and Rainforest Discovery that descend and dilute the authenticity of Singapores culture and personal identity to an engineered landscape11 that whitethorn not go down well with locals. Locally however, there has been itty-bitty or no national awareness about the attraction as little publicity and hype is generated apart from special occasions.Many locals also ingest the mindset that the Flyer is a tourist attraction, hence they subconsciously exclude themselves from participating in this activity. Opportunities With reference to the consumer/social factor, the Flyer should capitalize on Singapores growing popularity as a tourist des tination for visitors from all over the world. This growing popularity could very well be a result of our perceived Orientalism/exoticism12 (Morgan et al, 2012245) where tourists view Singapore as the foreign East13 (Jandt, 2004404).Moreover, we appeal directly to the tourist who wish to explore south-east Asia but are turned off by many of the new(prenominal) less-developed S. E. A countries in this way, Singapore could act as the gateway to these other(a) countries. Through their transit here, it is highly probable that tourists would want to explore Singapore as well, and hence the Flyer could capitalize on this aspect by marketing itself vigorously as a must-see destination for these global tourists.stintingally, opportunities for the Flyer will increase as there is currently huge electromotive force for our MICE welkin to grow even more, particularly with the opening of the MBS Convention marrow squash located right beside the Singapore Flyer. As Chandran Nair, general m anager of Singex puts it, MICE has a strong multiplier effect for the economy. You see major trade shows approaching into the countries, and you see hotels, stand contractors, freight forwarders and shops benefit. 14 This is directly linked to tourism because as the number of MICE conventions held increase, visitor arrivals numbers will definitely grow together in tandem.As visitors to Singapore increase, they are likely to go sight-seeing and with the Flyer in such close proximity to the MBS Convention Centre, it is hence extremely well-off for visitors to make their way there, thereby boosting visitor arrivals and revenue for the Flyer. Opportunities further countermand as the everyday tourist experiences a rise in income and tone of life due to strong domestic growth in their inhabitancy countries. The Flyer could provide associated services that appeal to these people, thereby capturing a fraction of the wealth they are prepared to spend15.As reported by ICAEW16, Singapor es tourism industry is predicted to benefit from strong domestic growth in countries in the region like Indonesia, where newly rich Indonesians are more able to travel abroad and who are prepared to spend top dollar in their destination countries. Threats A threat could be the change magnitude number of similar attractions around the world. As countries compete for the tourist dollar, it is bouncy to note if the Flyer has a competitive edge over any of these other attractions.Not only does the Flyer have to fight with similar real attractions (e. g. Ferris roulette wheel in Taipei17 and the Menara Tower in Kuala Lumpur18), many similar new attractions have also been planned such as the proposed Dubai Eye, The New York Wheel and the Eye on Malaysia. Another threat is the possibility of being overshadowed by newer buildings that offer the same panoramic view of Singapore such as the Marina Bay Sands SkyPark, Sky on 57 and 1-Altitude. Another related to point is that as tourists s pend an average of just 3. days in Singapore19, they might choose to visit the more popular and well-known attractions like Sentosa, Singapore Zoo and the Orchard Road shopping district while giving the Flyer a miss. Additionally, the Flyer is extremely vulnerable to contrary weather conditions (e. g. thunderstorms) in which it has no control over. In 2010, lightning struck the Flyer and caused a malfunction in the air-conditioning system the attraction had to be closed for two days before it was certified safe to re-open.This shows how attractions that capitalize on offering great scenic views are extremely vulnerable to weather conditions, and further illustrates how tourist attractions are constantly evolving as they seek to conform to different circumstances every day. Conclusion As the aforementioned analysis has demonstrated, the Singapore Flyer is a tourist site that has ample strengths and opportunities that can be tapped on and further enhanced for the generation of rev enue. These however, have to be carefully negotiated with the opportunity costs that may be incurred.One should be circumspect therefore that capital maximisation through the presentation of bite-sized touristy images is in fact an inauthentic re-appropriation of the Singapore culture. Such a phenomena, in the name of profit maximisation, threatens authenticity, where models of a real are without origin or reality a hyperreal that sees the precession of simulacra(http//www. stanford. edu/class/history34q/readings/Baudrillard/Baudrillard_Simulacra. html), and an eventual threat to our identity as Singaporeans as we know it.As consultants for the Singaporean tourism company in pursuit for profits, we therefore identify the strengths and opportunities of the Singapore Flyer. However, we also seek to foreground the weaknesses and threats that may impinge on the very authenticity and character of the Singaporean culture and identity. Appendix FIG. 1 Singapore Flyer signage pic FIG. 2 Recreated tropical rainforest pic FIG. 3 Singapore Food Trail pic (Obtained from http//www. singaporeflyer. com/wp-content/header-images/food-trail. jpg) FIG. 4 Flyer on a weekday afternoon pic FIG. 5 SWOT Chart billet TYPE OF FACTOR OF FACTOR Favourable Unfavourable Internal Strengths Weaknesses Offerings Offers spectacular view of cityscape Lacks originality Air-conditioned capsules Reduces and dilutes Singapores cultural authenticity substantially accessible Combines F&B, shopping and sightseeing all in one complex Marketing Excellent branding strategies Little/no local awareness of promotional activities External Opportunities Threats Consumer/social Gateway to rest of selenium Asia Tourists bypass Flyer for more popular attractions Vulnerable to weather conditions Economic Rise of the well-heeled global tourist Increasing number of similar existing/new attractions Huge growth potential in the MICE sector globally Overshadowed by other buil dings that offer the same view FIG. 6 Play, Shop & Dine all in one complex pic FIG. 7 Joint promotion held with Nankai, a retail shop located within the Flyer complex pic FIG. 8 Coach bays picpic 1 http//www. asiaone. com/News/AsiaOne%2BNews/Singapore/ accounting/A1Story20110407-272181. html 2 An authenticity projected onto toured objects by tourists or tourist producers in terms of their imagery, expectations, preferences, beliefs and powers (Wang, 1999352) 3 http//en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Global_city 4 Managing director of Adval Brand Group Pte Ltd, the exclusive sales, marketing and ticket distribution agent of the Flyer 5 S$21 for a churl S$33 for an adult (Singapore Flyer, 2013) 6 Supported by our survey results where majority of survey respondents regarded themselves as belonging to the middle and upper-middle income strata. 7 Our survey results showed that visitors to the Flyer were mostly overseas tourists who hailed from places like India, England, New Zealand, Chi na and Korea. 8