Attracting tourists to Singapore's Chinatown: a case study in conservation and promotion

✍ Scribed by J Henderson

• Publisher: Elsevier Science
• Year: 2000
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 117 KB
• Volume: 21
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0261-5177
• DOI: 10.1016/s0261-5177(99)00108-9

✦ Synopsis

The case study concerns Singapore's Chinatown which occupies an important place in the country's history and has acquired major signi"cance as a tourist attraction. Whilst much of the area was saved from the urban redevelopment characteristic of Singapore in the period since its independence and its conservation has become an o$cial priority, approaches adopted towards the presentation and interpretation of the site have changed over time and are now a matter of public debate. Interest has increased recently as a result of the announcement of a new development programme which is outlined after a brief history of Chinatown. An account of the responses and concerns about the future then follows. Despite the very distinctive characteristics of Chinatown, events there raise general questions about the use of heritage as a tourist attraction including matters of authenticity and local involvement as well as those relating to the applicability of the life cycle model; these themes are addressed in the "nal section which presents some general conclusions based on the particular circumstances of the case.