Singapore Set for the Spotlight

Singapore Set for the Spotlight

Singapore has long been one of the economic giants of Southeast Asia. However, outside of shopping malls and food, there have been few reasons to visit the city-state. Over the past few years, however, it has made great strides in marketing itself to would-be tourists. Here are a few of the reasons used to draw visitors to Singapore:

1. Most of the population can speak English, so language is not a problem for English-speaking tourists.

2. Singapore has a modern infrastructure. Visitors can get anywhere easily and cheaply by train and bus.

3. It is arguably the safest city in Asia.

4. It has a vibrant food scene influenced by Malay, Chinese, and Indian cooking styles.

5. Finally, Singapore is a green city with plenty of trees and parks and low pollution levels.

Of course, Singapore is also known for its strict government, tough laws and censorship. These aspects of the city receive more press than the cuisine and public transit.

But Singapore has been gaining notoriety for other reasons as well. It has hosted high profile events, been the subject of films, and diversified itself in ways that few people could have predicted.

1. The Singapore Grand Prix was a success. It was the first-ever Formula One race held at night. The event was contested on the city's streets and showcased both the new and classic architecture of Singapore. Next year's event is already being anticipated.

2. Several resort and casino projects are underway. These would bring sanctioned gambling to Singapore's shores and offer tourists an alternative to the gaming haven of Macau.

3. Singapore got to show its personality in various independent films over the past few years. "15" showed the life of the city's underprivileged, Hokkien-speaking youth, while "Pleasure Factory" showed the not-often-talked-about neighborhood of Geylang, Singapore's red light district. Perhaps the city is not the utterly sterile place it is often made out to be.