MARINE RESOURCES AND TOURISM : THE CASE OF SINGAPORE

Abstract

AS LAND-BASED productive resources become scarce and costly, man is increasingly turning to the seas for new sources of supply. The discovery of marine resources and recognition of their economic values have led to the establishment of many industries that are dependent on the availability of such resources, directly or indirectly. Tourism is one industry where the marine factors apply. Countries well endowed with natural beaches and beautiful islands have not been slow in developing them into resorts which are gaining popularity among tourists worldwide. Singapore is an island republic surrounded by waters and many other smaller islands. ls it in a position to exploit the potential of these resources to the benefit of its tourist industry? It is the aim of this exercise to present an economic analysis of the contribution of marine resources to tourism and explore the prospects of promoting 'marine intensive' tourism in Singapore. An outline of the scope and objectives of the study are presented in the chapter. We will also briefly trace the history of the rise of global seaside tourism. An introduction lo the tourism industry in Singapore will also be presented here. In Chapter Two, we identify the main sources of supply of marine attractions in Singapore. Chapter Three introduces the concept of lhe 'marine intensity' of tourism. Various methods to estimate this measure are discussed and evaluated. In the fourth chapter, we estimate the degree of intensity' of tourism in Singapore. Recommendations of the Report of the Tourism Task Force to develop Singapore's marine attractions are discusscd in Chapter Five. In Chapter Six, we assess the advantages of an ASEAN joint effort in promoting 'marine intensive' tourism in the region and examine the scope for such a cooperation. Chapter Seven presents the summary and conclusion.