IN FOCUS: Countries around the world are battling overtourism. Could a hub like Singapore be next?

SINGAPORE: The Singaporean artist Yip Yew Chong has known Chinatown intimately for much of his life.
He grew up in a shophouse in Sago Lane, from 1969 to 1983, before his family was resettled in a Housing Board flat on Smith Street. Mr Yip then married and moved out in 1995, but his mother still lives there to this day. 
And throughout the years, Chinatown’s transformation has been “drastic and not organic”, he told CNA.
Dilapidated shophouses have been torn down, making way for modern businesses, offices and homes; and stripping Chinatown of its “unique tapestry”.
But the area remains as bustling as it was in the 1970s – albeit with commerce now driven, more than ever, by tourists.
As a child, Mr Yip already witnessed hordes of foreign visitors crowding the morning markets, being ferried around in trishaws and occupying rows of streetside tables to tuck into local delicacies. 
“Personally, I love to see tourists and welcome them, especially well-behaved tourists who respect the place,” he said.
“Compared to the early days, however, tourists of the present day are getting more rowdy and obstructive when they take or pose for photos, and some even have a self-entitled attitude for photo space.”
Any unruly visitor behaviour, however, largely remains confined to Chinatown’s sightseeing streets, and Mr Yip acknowledged that few if any tourists would venture into public housing grounds to disturb residents.
In other parts of the world, it’s a different story. 
Last month, residents in Barcelona, Spain threw items and sprayed tourists with water guns and canned drinks, while shouting at them to “go home”.
Protesters also used police-style cordons to block hotel entrances and sidewalk cafes in an attempt to close the establishments.
And in the historic Bukchon Hanok Village in downtown Seoul, tourist access will be restricted from October, in response to visitors outnumbering residents and escalating complaints about noise, littering and privacy issues over the years.
The issue in both cases has to do with overtourism, which experts CNA spoke to defined as occurring when visitor demand is higher than what a destination or its residents can support.
It can lead to the likes of overcrowding, a breach of public norms and local cultural sensitivities being impinged.
There are several more recent examples.
Amsterdam in the Netherlands and Italy’s Venice are among other cities worst-hit by overtourism. The Dutch capital’s solution has been to ban cruise ships by 2035, while Venice has announced a tourist entry fee.
Closer to Singapore, some businesses in Japan are considering a dual pricing system to charge foreign tourists more than local people.
This came after a huge barrier was erected at a popular photo spot to block views of Mount Fuji, due to crowds of badly behaved tourists.
Amid the slew of overtourism reports globally, Singapore, a hub in itself, would appear to stand far from the madding crowd.
The millions of visitors descending on the small nation have not led to any majorly negative effects on the quality of life for citizens, which experts and authorities attribute to a focus on well-planned infrastructure as well as tourist spending over numbers.
Still, is there a risk of this worldwide phenomenon catching up to Singapore – and how prepared is it to deal with such a possibility?
Travel and tourism have enjoyed almost “unbroken” growth since the 1950s, noted one tourism expert. 
While the COVID-19 pandemic set everyone back, most countries have since reopened and the world is seeing growth again, said Mr Christopher Khoo, managing director of tourism consultancy MasterConsult Services.
He observed that in the years leading up to the pandemic, there were already “clanging alarm bells” on environmental and social concerns outweighing the economic benefits of tourism.
Ngee Ann Polytechnic’s course chair for tourism and resort management Joshua Loh also pointed to the role of social media.
“People are kind of showing off where they are, their latest travel escapades, and in a sense, everybody wants to get on that train,” he added. 
It’s no secret that Singapore and its economy has benefited from the growth of travel and tourism. 
In 2019, 19.1 million visitors entered the country. This number plummeted over the next two pandemic years, and started picking up in 2022.
The bounce back has continued, with 13.6 million people visiting Singapore last year, and 6.99 million in the first five months of 2024 – a 35.7 per cent increase over the same period in 2023.
Amid global travel demand and flights being restored, Singapore is on track to meet a forecasted 15 to 16.5 million international visitor arrivals this year, said country’s Tourism Board (STB) director for tourism human capital and sustainability Dong Limin.
Singapore’s tourism strategy takes reference from a 2018 World Tourism Organization report, which calls for tourism to be developed and managed sustainably for both visitors and local communities.
In this vein, Singapore has since 2013 pursued “quality” tourism, attempting to attract target audiences with quality offerings “to prioritise growth in tourism spending over growth in tourism arrivals”, said STB’s Dong.
Experts said this approach is one reason why Singapore has yet to face overtourism. 
Singapore’s tourism offerings are also well-defined, said Mr Benjamin Cassim, senior lecturer for hospitality and tourism management at Temasek Polytechnic.
For example, a Porsche Experience Centre will be set up by 2027 at Changi Exhibition Centre. This will be the German carmaker’s first such facility in Southeast Asia.
A new world-class wellness attraction is also in the works for the southern coast of Singapore, near Marina Barrage. 
These attractions can connect with specific groups of visitors who could be deemed as discerning travellers, said Mr Cassim.
Ngee Ann Polytechnic’s Mr Loh said that instead of mass tourism, Singapore aims to attract affluent visitors with greater propensity to spend.
“So you don’t see that crowding that’s happening as severely as in some other destinations.”
Mr Loh also pointed to attractions being spread out across Singapore, from Jurong Lake Gardens in the West to the Greater Southern Waterfront area.
This prevents a “clustering” of visitors at any one particular spot; and the same could be said for Singapore’s scheduling of major entertainment and sporting events.
For instance, the Formula 1 Grand Prix here takes place in September. Prior to that, during Singapore’s off-peak season, it hosted concerts by British rock band Coldplay and American pop star Taylor Swift in January and March respectively. 
Singapore continues to ramp up efforts in the tourism industry. It’s pumping in more than S$300 million to continue its post-pandemic recovery, to not just develop new offerings but rejuvenate existing ones.
With tourists getting more selective, Singapore needs to keep refreshing its visitor experiences, said Mr Cassim from Temasek Polytechnic.
“It is about responding to competitive and changing market forces and attempting to stay ahead of the curve.”
Overtourism can also lead to rising food and accommodation prices – effects which Singapore can ill afford, said Mr Loh.
“The fact that we are small … these consequences might become even more pronounced,” he said. 
What needs to be done is for various parties in the industry, from hotels to attraction operators, to stay on top of “indicators” such as visitor feedback or physical conditions of attractions, Mr Loh added.
“This whole overtourism phenomenon probably is not going to happen overnight … As long as we really keep our eye on the ball on how things are developing (and) with all these new attractions that are coming in, we can and we should preemptively nip the issue in the bud.”
Imposing surcharges is one way of controlling tourist numbers – but neither an ideal nor long-term solution, said MasterConsult Services’ Mr Khoo.
Countries like Bhutan limit entry visas and impose minimum daily spends; while others raise visa prices or impose a tourism tax.
Individual attractions can also put a daily limit on visitor numbers.
In Singapore, the closest equivalent to a surcharge is for attractions and facilities to adjust prices to regulate expected crowds.
Mr Loh from Ngee Ann Polytechnic said surcharges – depending on the quantum – would unlikely be a huge deterrent to long-haul travellers intent on seeing Singapore as part of a Southeast Asian trip.
Whatever methods Singapore chooses, there needs to be a careful balance, said Temasek Polytechnic’s Mr Cassim, as he highlighted that visitor numbers here include both tourists and business travellers. 
“We generally do not make distinctions between the two, given our visa-free entry protocol. 
“As a global business hub, Singapore cannot afford to place restrictions on visitors entering the country.”
Mr Dong from STB pointed back to Singapore’s sustainable tourism strategy, and its alignment with the country’s broader Green Plan 2030, as the way forward.
Sustainable tourism has been the focus for cities like Danish capital Copenhagen, which offers free meals, train tickets and museum tours to visitors who pick up trash or opt to ride bicycles.
It’s been described as a reward system to transform “green actions into currency for cultural experiences”, and a way to offset the “environmental burden” of tourism.
In Singapore, the hotel industry is targeting for at least 60 per cent of its room stock to achieve internationally-recognised sustainability certification by 2025.
Hotels here are also aiming to reduce emissions by 2030, with a view to net-zero by 2050.
Singapore has also set its sights on becoming Asia Pacific’s leading sustainable Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions or MICE destination by 2030.
On the ground, signs of a shift can be seen in hotels offering water filtration systems instead of water bottles; and the rise of “tiny living” hospitality experiences which use fewer resources.
Local tour agencies are meanwhile doing their part to manage overcrowding at popular hotspots. 
Hong Thai Travel, for one, plans trips to Universal Studios and Gardens by The Bay on weekdays instead.
And the Hello! Singapore agency typically tries to avoid high-profile attractions, choosing instead to focus its tours on understanding Singapore’s food, history and culture.
Bringing tourists off the beaten track is particularly feasible for a small country like Singapore, said agency owner Laura Blackhall. 
“Less-visited areas can be reached in less than one hour … a decision can be made on the day (itself) with no need to change hotels.”
Travel agency Jane’s Singapore Tours offers walks based on themes like World War II and Peranakan culture.
Founder Jane Iyer said the aim is to present something more in-depth, more meaningful and “more than just looking at the Merlion or MBS”.
Moving forward, travellers can be expected to be even more discerning, said Ngee Ann’s Mr Loh. “They will know whether a destination is paying lip service to sustainability or really doing practical and concrete steps.”
But the onus is also on tourists themselves when it comes to overtourism.
Japanese national Sayaka Kondo, who works in a travel company, can relate. In cities like Tokyo, Osaka and Kyoto, popular attractions and public spaces have become excessively crowded with visitors.
Safety concerns aside, even a simple task like grabbing lunch can become an hours-long ordeal, especially on weekends, said the 27-year-old.
“Some foreign visitors’ lack of etiquette on public transportation has been a source of annoyance for Japanese locals,” said Ms Kondo. “Littering by visitors has also become a significant problem too.”
With these experiences fresh in her mind, she will be making her own trip to Singapore sometime this month, cognisant that as a tourist she should do her research and be aware of the country’s dos and donts.
“Social media is very helpful nowadays. You can search for information before your trip about things to avoid or learn basic manners for travelling,” said Ms Kondo. “I believe we can always be prepared.”