Gardens by the Bay
1. Introduction
The destiny of Singapore to develop as a green conservational nation was awaken when Sir Stamford Raffles established the first botanical garden in 1822. [1] Through continuous planning and cultivation, Singapore has earned the name of "Garden City". From the first tree planting by Mr Lee Kuan Yew in 1963, Gardens by the bay (Gardens) is a huge leap with its $1 billion investment.[2]Aligned with Singapore's new aspiration to become an international eco-tourism icon, Gardens is alleged to put Singapore at the forefront of eco-tourism and promote Singapore as a "City in the Garden".
2. The alignment of Gardens to Ecotourism
Ecotourism is defined as responsible travel to fragile, pristine and usually protected areas consisting of 3 core elements - natured-based, education-based and sustainable.
2.1 Nature-based
Of upmost importance, the primary foundation of ecotourism focuses on natural environment. However, as Gardens is a man-made horticultural environment situated on reclaimed land, the claim for it being an ecotourism icon can be overthrown. While the Gardens strives to mimic a natural environment by housing a wide variety of plant species, it would still not be a natural environment.
2.2 Education-based
2.2.1 Ecology Awareness
Gardens provide an excellent edutainment opportunity for the visitors.
First of all, the Gardens attempt to promote understanding and appreciation for the nature and clean water. This is achieved by Kingfisher and Dragonfly lake, which acts as a natural eco-filter to cleanse the captured water before discharging to Marina reservoir.[4] These lakes reflect the importance and natural role of aquatic organisms in maintaining a healthy ecosystem.
Secondly, the climate-controlled conservatories in Gardens provide a educational platform for citizens and tourists through biodiversity conservation. With more than 2,000 species, it enables visitors to gain exposure to the rich and rare collection of
The destiny of Singapore to develop as a green conservational nation was awaken when Sir Stamford Raffles established the first botanical garden in 1822. [1] Through continuous planning and cultivation, Singapore has earned the name of "Garden City". From the first tree planting by Mr Lee Kuan Yew in 1963, Gardens by the bay (Gardens) is a huge leap with its $1 billion investment.[2]Aligned with Singapore's new aspiration to become an international eco-tourism icon, Gardens is alleged to put Singapore at the forefront of eco-tourism and promote Singapore as a "City in the Garden".
2. The alignment of Gardens to Ecotourism
Ecotourism is defined as responsible travel to fragile, pristine and usually protected areas consisting of 3 core elements - natured-based, education-based and sustainable.
2.1 Nature-based
Of upmost importance, the primary foundation of ecotourism focuses on natural environment. However, as Gardens is a man-made horticultural environment situated on reclaimed land, the claim for it being an ecotourism icon can be overthrown. While the Gardens strives to mimic a natural environment by housing a wide variety of plant species, it would still not be a natural environment.
2.2 Education-based
2.2.1 Ecology Awareness
Gardens provide an excellent edutainment opportunity for the visitors.
First of all, the Gardens attempt to promote understanding and appreciation for the nature and clean water. This is achieved by Kingfisher and Dragonfly lake, which acts as a natural eco-filter to cleanse the captured water before discharging to Marina reservoir.[4] These lakes reflect the importance and natural role of aquatic organisms in maintaining a healthy ecosystem.
Secondly, the climate-controlled conservatories in Gardens provide a educational platform for citizens and tourists through biodiversity conservation. With more than 2,000 species, it enables visitors to gain exposure to the rich and rare collection of