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The F1 is again – and I’ve modified my thoughts a bit about its non-value for Singapore, at this juncture. However the authorities ought to do extra to ensure unusual Singaporeans relate higher to the occasion and will not be nonchalantly shrugged off as collateral harm.
The disruption to native life and to the outlets throughout the neighborhood of the circuit has all the time been a giant concern. Have the organisers, the Ministry of Commerce and Trade and Singapore Tourism Board apart from Singapore GP, been in a position to minimise the chaos brought on to the each day routine of residents? Are affected contract employees penalised by lack of wages as a result of no fault of theirs, ought to their outlets lose the enterprise of normal clients? What about bus commuters? How had they been correctly notified far upfront of modifications within the routes?
The Singapore businesses are clearly satisfied that one of many early goals – to advertise Singapore’s picture as an iconic vacationer vacation spot – has already been achieved. As I stated in an earlier column, okay, positive Beyonce now knew the place the Lion Metropolis was. What else?
The MTI and STB have been ready, nonetheless, to additionally take a look at the occasion’s account stability sheet with some satisfaction.
The Straits Occasions reported: “The 2019 race, the final time it was staged right here, drew a three-day whole of 268,000 spectators – the second-highest after the 300,000 whole on the 2008 maiden race.
“Abroad guests typically comprise 40 per cent of race-goers right here and the race weekend contributes about $130 million yearly in tourism receipts.
“There have been 12 editions since 2008 and collectively, they introduced greater than 550,000 distinctive overseas guests, contributing over $1.5 billion in tourism receipts.”
However this 12 months’s F1 must be a much-needed booster. The tourism sector has been battered by Covid-19. Final 12 months, there have been 330,000 customer arrivals and an estimated $1.9 billion in tourism receipts. “It is just a fraction of the 19 million guests and $27.7 billion in receipts from earlier than the pandemic in 2019,” in response to The Straits Occasions.
However there’s way more, I now assume, to the System 1 Singapore Airways Singapore Grand Prix 2022 (that is its official identify).
The tourism trade is crying out loud for some assist which the F1 will handily present, this 12 months greater than some other 12 months. The world has by no means been extra journey and leisure disadvantaged. There must be a burst of holiday makers.
The F1 additionally appears to be doing extra for Singapore in bringing within the marquee reveals than the 2 built-in resorts.
Each time, the Grand Prix is right here, the large acts are right here. This 12 months, Black-Eyed Peas, Westlife, TLC and Suede are the large liners.
Extra necessary, for me, the variety of native acts getting the possibility to indicate off their expertise is spectacular: Altoduo, INCH, Ice-cream Sundays, Mintravine, The Countdown, WUKONG, ShiGGA Shay.
This could certainly be the highway map for the F1 Singapore model, past the vacationer {dollars} and cents.
Give our high native skills the publicity they deserve, particularly if the world stage is correct right here in Singapore. Make this world metropolis a MUST stop-over or vacation spot for leisure. Possibly certainly one of these ONEPass marquee overseas skills might help.
Tan Bah Bah, consulting editor of TheIndependent.Sg, is a former senior chief author with The Straits Occasions. He was additionally managing editor of {a magazine} publishing firm.
The publish How Singapore can get extra worth out of the F1 appeared first on The Impartial Singapore Information – Newest Breaking Information
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