$1.9m nature walk on Sentosa is S'pore newest eco-attraction
SINGAPORE’S latest "eco-attraction", a nature walk which highlights Sentosa Island’s flora and fauna, will be launched tomorrow.
Nature lovers and some travel industry officials hope that the launching of the $1.9-million attraction could be the start of an organized and well-funded eco-tourism travel trade that will include nature sites in Singapore and the offshore islands.
While visitors to Sentosa’s 1.5-km Nature Walk will be able to see more than 20 species of birds, including a small colony of white cockatoos, and interesting flora like the insect-devouring pitcher plants, nature enthusiasts believe that Singapore has much more to offer.
The Nature Society (Singapore) (NSS) has identified about 28 other sites throughout Singapore which have over 320 species of birds and more plant species than all of North America.
Eco-tourism involves promoting the natural assets of a country as a tourist draw. It is estimated that the eco-tourist market accounts for between US$2 billion (S$3.2 billion) and US$10 billion of the US$55 billion tourist market in developing countries.
It is expected to grow at 12 to 15 per cent in this decade, two to three times the rate of conventional tourism.
Mr Robert Khoo, president of the National Association of Travel Agents Singapore (Natas), said that eco-tourism should be looked at seriously to see how Singapore can capitalise on it to add to the total selling dimension of Singapore.
"In itself, it is not enough to get the tourist to spend an extra day or two, but it will tap a special interest market and increase the number of visitors through this niche."
The Singapore Tourist Promotion Board said that Singapore’s green attractions are just part of the destination’s multi-faceted appeal and will therefore be promoted with the other attractions.
The board also noted that a delicate balance must be achieved between promoting eco-tourism and the preservation of natural assets.
"Over promotion may see the damaging of the very areas we seek to preserve," it added.
Singapore’s only licensed nature guide, Mr R. Subharaj, who has been conducting nature and bird tours around Singapore and the offshore islands for the past five years, believes that eco-tourism here has great potential.
He said: "The tourists are always amazed that we have such a variety of flora and fauna. We market the island as ‘Surprising Singapore’ but we have not used up all our surprises yet."
He felt that the Bukit Timah Nature Reserve, the Pasir Ris mangroves and the Marina South fresh water marsh are three sites which can be readily promoted as eco-sites.
In a paper on Eco-tourism in Singapore, Associate Professor Wee Yeow Chin, who is the NSS president, said: "If eco-tourism is to work, efforts need to be channeled to designate many of these sites as nature reserves or nature parks."
In addition, trained eco-guides, who are reasonably well-versed with the common plants and animals; brochures, maps and other colour illustrations on the nature trails and attractions, must also be in place before ecotourism can take off.
But Mr Khoo of Natas cautioned: "Although promoting eco-tourism is a good idea, we must bear in mind that we have a limited amount of such nature reserves and bird sanctuaries compared to our Asian neighbours. The risk in terms of promotion is higher."
He said that although some 20 million Americans are interested in nature-related activities, there are no projections indicating how many among them would actually visit Singapore expressly for nature visits.
He added that most agents servicing Japan, Taiwan and Korea feel that visitors from these countries were not really interested in eco-tourism activities.
He said: "There is an overall perception by visitors that Singapore is a city destination. We need to change this mentality If Singapore wants to promote eco-tourism." One hotel which acted on its own to change this image is the Le Meridien Changi,
The hotel launched its own nature walk around Changi this year and has already taken over 80 tourists through the remnant mangroves, the nearby beach front and roadside vegetation, said the hotel’s general manager, Mr Kevin Murphy.
He said: "It goes to show that there are still new elements to add to the image of Singapore as a destination."
Source : The Straits Times, May 28 1992
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