Whose Singapore? YOUR Singapore!

So the jury is out. Who does Singapore really belong to?
Is it MY Singapore, YOUR Singapore,
or are we alright to share this place?
[Leave us your opinions & thoughts in the Comment box!]

It's come full circle according to Assistant Chief Executive of Marketing at the Singapore Tourism Board, Ken Low. The new destination brand, Your Singapore, which was unveiled earlier this month has since attracted a fair share of fans as it has critics. The latter generally say the new slogan doesn't convey anything about Singapore. Some basically find fault that we're lacking an adjective to describe who we are and what we have to offer. Yet that argument can barely stand up to the notion that a country and all that is it and has, cannot be embodied and described in just one word. Even a sentence wouldn't suffice. A country's got to be visited, felt, trodden under foot, smelled, tasted and touched. Speaking of touch, it's a multi-sensorial experience that's got to touch the heart.

(above from l-r: Veteran hotelier Mohd K Rafin - Senior Vice President of Park Hotel Group, WIT Producer Yeoh Siew Hoon and STB's Asst Chief Executive of Marketing Ken Low)

"Uniquely Singapore" may have been laid to rest, but Producer of Web-In-Travel Yeoh Siew Hoon says the preceding brand was the 'inspiration', while the newly-minted tag was for 'conversion'. Therein lies the bridge, often the missing link in many tourism branding campaigns - converting the inspired and making it easy for them to want to visit your shores. First feed them all the information they want, then make it a breeze for them to plan their itinerary from a smorgasboard of things to do and places to visit here. Once that's done, entice them to make their flight and accommodation bookings, and before they know it, Singapore's theirs to savour! The portal is all about empowering would-be visitors with the ability and platform to customise their own holiday.
Now who wouldn't like that?

You may have read my earlier blog review of Universal Studios Singapore. One thing I'd omitted from mention was how my heart swelled with pride as I toured the attraction. Alas, Singapore finally has her very own world-class theme park! We're getting there. The makeover of Orchard Road has been radical and bold. Gardens By The Bay at Marina is also taking shape and soon the shifting sands of time will usher in the opening of Singapore's second IR. It'll be sooner than later before we're spoilt for choice.

I retract that statement. In fact, I believe we are already spoilt for choice with the variety of places to go and things to do here. Last week, I packed three passengers into my car and zipped them off on a free-and-easy drive around Singapore. Would you have imagined the photos below to have been taken right here? Yes, everything from the scenery to the food and canopy of trees can be found in our own backyard despite being an island just 682.7 square metres.



It's OUR SINGAPORE! It's (Y)OUR SINGAPORE! Now go forth and explore!
Oh and one more thing, just beware of falling branches if you're
out in the open.