Sir, Singapore’s reputation as the best destination for tourism retail experience is under threat. We hear cases of retail shops selling over-priced electronic goods, over-charging tourists or dealing in unfair retail practices of “bait and switch” or misrepresentation.
Such poor service appears to be prevalent despite the introduction of the Singapore Service Star scheme by the Singapore Tourism Board which seeks to recognize, through accreditation, businesses that promote good service.
Tourists’ confidence in Singapore’s retail sector can be easily tarnished by a few black sheep and shops that choose to remain outside this scheme.
I would like to ask what is the Government’s strategy to provide a “uniquely Singapore” tourist retail experience in view of the presence of recalcitrant retail businesses who continuously dish out poor service and bad practices?
Next, rapid urbanization and redevelopment of Singapore have eroded our heritage in the name of development. Take Chinatown for instance. While it has been preserved for tourists, many of the original trades located in Chinatown have been replaced by touristy shops selling souvenirs and trinkets.
Tourists are becoming more sophisticated. They would prefer to experience the real cultural heritage of a place as opposed to a copy of it. Thus, our conservation strategies towards places for tourism should focus on retaining the original trades, businesses and attractions that are authentic to the place.
A Straits Times Forum writer shared in his letter on 6 January 2009 that perhaps the “Real Chinatown is at Waterloo Street” because “Chinatown is becoming too ‘touristy’, to the extent that tourists would want to give it a miss.”
I would like to ask the Minister what is his strategy to conserve our heritage sites for tourism? How are we preserving our history to provide an authentic, cultural and “uniquely Singapore” experience for tourists as well as for our children?
(Note: this speech was delivered in Parliament on 9 Feb 2009.)
