1. Culture and Tourism
1.1 Definition
Culture comprises of “the beliefs, behaviors, objects, and other characteristics common to the members of a particular group or society” (1). Through culture, people discover their true identity, adapt to social norms and play a vital part in contributing to the society. Therefore, culture consists of several aspects of the society such as language, values, customs, norms, and so on. On the other hand, tourism consists of the practice or act of an individual or a group of people travelling to and staying in other destinations away from their home for less than a year for business, leisure and other purposes. It has a direct impact on the total national income for all countries which participate in tourism and also helps to increase employment and boost the performance and cultures of a country.
1.2 Interaction of culture and tourism in Singapore
The cultural diversity of Singapore is one of the main factors heavily contributing to its success of being one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world. Singapore is a multi-ethnic society comprising of different racial groups such as Indian, Malay, Chinese and Westerners. As a result, the country embraces a cosmopolitan culture and this also serves as a key attraction for tourists. The Singapore Government has always stressed on the importance of social harmony of the various ethnic groups hence, that ethnicity has created a base to the tourism development in Singapore.
An example of how the Government leverages culture to promote and develop tourism in Singapore is through the establishment and conservation of the ethnic quarters – Little India, Chinatown, Kampong Glam and Geylang Serai. These areas are known to be rich in culture and heritage. Each ethnic quarter showcases the distinctive features of the different racial groups and this encourages tourists from all around world to visit Singapore to experience this unique and vibrant