Tourism in Singapore suffers haze blow

Tourism in Singapore suffers haze blow



The tourism sector has taken a hit from the haze, with the Singapore Flyer and DUCKtours announcing they would suspend operations until conditions improve, after the Pollutant Standards Index (PSI) reached a record high of 371 at 1pm on Thursday.

Other outdoor attractions saw slight dips in visitor numbers, while tour operators leading inbound groups to Singapore have had to adjust itineraries to carry out more activities indoors, although they have yet to receive cancellations.

Livelihoods of small-time vendors, such as trishaw drivers plying the streets, are also suffering a blow from the poor air quality.

The Singapore Flyer, which was placed into receivership last month, said it was closing to protect its employees, many of whom work outdoors.

"We will reassess the situation (this) morning and the Flyer will reopen as soon as pollution levels drop to a safe level," said Mr Tim Reid of Ferrier Hodgson, the Flyer's appointed receivers and managers.

Tenants at the Singapore Flyer TODAY spoke to said there has been a dip in their business since the start of this week.

A tenant who declined to be named said there has been an 80 per cent decrease in his business since Tuesday, adding that he would close his shop about two hours earlier.

Another tenant said his restaurant, which would usually be "half-filled" with customers at dinner time, was empty on Thursday.

"(We) may look into shortening (our) business (operating hours) if the Flyer is still not opened," he added.

DUCKtours - run by DUCK & HiPPO - were also cancelled in the afternoon on Thursday after the PSI exceeded 300.

"We called guests who made reservations and informed them of the cancellation due to hazardous weather. For pre-paid guests who are leaving Singapore and not able to reschedule, we arranged for a refund," said DUCK & HiPPO Deputy Director Pamela Wee.

She said they will monitor the haze and will cancel DUCKtours if it "reaches the point where it makes the touring un-enjoyable or uncomfortable".

Singapore River Cruise General Manager See Toh Yew Leong said that, although business was "a bit affected", operations are carrying on as usual. However, on Wednesday, it ended operations an hour earlier after the PSI hit 321.

Resorts World Sentosa reported "fewer visitors" to the Adventure Cove Waterpark.

A spokesperson said it has "tweaked the format" of its outdoor shows and entertainment at Universal Studios Singapore and will "exercise flexibility in deploying team members for outdoor duties". 

Wildlife Reserves Singapore did not comment on Thursday but said in a statement the day before that it had seen a slight dip in visitor numbers to its four attractions - before the PSI soared over 300 - and it was keeping a close watch on its animals.

Inbound tourists appeared to be unfazed by the haze, with most tour agencies contacted by TODAY saying they have not received cancellations.

But CTC Travel's Senior Vice-President of Marketing and Public Relations Alicia Seah said she expected cancellations if the situation worsens and that bookings and enquiries will drop by about 20 per cent in the next two weeks.

For now, the agency has "change(d) the tour itineraries appropriately and with consent from customers". For example, instead of outdoor walks at Chinatown, Little India and Merlion Park, customers are brought to indoor shopping malls or museums. Guides and customers were also given masks.

Ms Michelle Yin, Marketing Communications Manager at Chan Brothers Travel, said the company is monitoring the situation. "(We) will make necessary recommendations to (customers) to switch to more indoor activities should the haze prolong till then," she said, adding that no cancellations have been made.

A trishaw driver who only wanted to be known as Henry said he had not got any business since Monday. He usually earns S$10 to S$20 per trip, making about five trips a day.

"I don't have any more money to buy food at this rate. I can only afford a bowl of tau huay (beancurd)," he said.


~News courtesy of Channel Newsasia~

Haze set to persist for next few days

Haze set to persist for next few days: Balakrishnan

Minister of Environment and Water Resources Vivian Balakrishnan said the haze is set to persist over the next few days, and whether a stop-work order will be issued will depend on the severity of the haze conditions.

Dr Balakrishnan was responding to questions from reporters on whether such an order was imminent, after the PSI hit hazardous levels on Wednesday night.

He said the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) has guidelines in place which all employers adhere to, and the MOM will give an update on Thursday.

Dr Balakrishnan said NEA's CEO Andrew Tan will be leading a Singapore team to Jakarta to attend an emergency haze meeting convened by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Indonesia.

He said Singapore expects to reach further agreement on concrete steps to tackle the haze, which it hopes the Indonesians will take.

A news briefing was called late on Wednesday after the PSI hit a record high of 321 at 10pm.

The PSI had been climbing all day on Wednesday, staying within the unhealthy range.

It has since dipped to 218 at midnight, and 195 at 1am on Thursday. 

Dr Balakrishnan noted that this is the worst haze that Singapore has faced.

He said Singaporeans must not be too fixated with the PSI data.

Still, sports facilities and schools may be closed if needed.

He added that it's the mid-year school holidays now, so there's no urgent need to make that call now.

The National Environment Agency (NEA) said dry weather conditions and prevailing winds blowing the haze into Singapore are expected to persist for the next few days.

Dr Balakrishnan said Singaporeans may need to make adjustments to their daily routines.

He said those with respiratory and cardiac problems and children should not exert themselves.

He noted that the only real solution is to deal with the source of the problem, which is the indiscriminate burning of land in Indonesia.

Singapore has urged Indonesia to take action to tackle the haze problem, and has also offered to help.

Dr Balakrishnan said Indonesia must stop new fires.

"We are publishing the high-resolution satellite pictures, including the coordinates of all hotspots, and NEA is going to update this on a daily basis. We are still urging the Indonesian authorities to publish the concession maps so that we can link the hotspots specifically to the individual companies," he said.

~News courtesy of Channel Newsasia~

Haze hits unhealthy level in Singapore

Haze hits unhealthy level in Singapore



The haze in Singapore climbed into the unhealthy range on Monday afternoon as the three-hour Pollutant Standards Index (PSI) hit 111 at 4pm.

The PSI reading first crossed the 100 mark at 3pm, when it was recorded at 105.

According to the National Environment Agency (NEA) website, PSI readings of 50 and below denote "good" air quality, "moderate" for 51-100 and "unhealthy" for 101-200.

The PSI reading has been rising steadily on Monday.

At 2pm, the PSI reading was 100, up from 95 at 1pm and 80 at noon.

The last time the PSI went over 100 was on October 21, 2010, when it hit 106.

Under NEA's health advisory, those with existing heart or respiratory ailments should reduce physical exertion and outdoor activity while the general population should reduce vigorous outdoor activity when the PSI reading reaches unhealthy levels.

~News courtesy of Channel Newsasia~

吸引外国投资者 马国推出五年多次往返签证

吸引外国投资者 马来西亚推出五年多次往返签证

马国移民局目前发出的多次往返签证多数只有一年，预料签证期限放宽后，将吸引更多外商和专业人士到马国投资和就业。这将特别惠及长期投资者。

马来西亚首相纳吉宣布放宽签证措施，让符合资格的外国投资者及基金经理获得可长达五年的多次往返签证，以吸引更多外来投资。

《星洲日报》报道，马国移民局目前发出的多次往返签证多数只有一年，除了共和联邦国和特定国家，一些国家如中国及印度的商人及民众到马国经商或旅游都须申请签证，且每次逗留期不能超过30天。

预料签证期限放宽后，将吸引更多外商和专业人士到马国投资和就业。这将特别惠及长期投资者。

《联合早报》

Singapore, Timor-Leste Air Services Agreement

Singapore, Timor-Leste sign bilateral Air Services Agreement

Singapore and Timor-Leste have signed an Air Services Agreement that will facilitate the continued growth of links between both countries, boosting bilateral trade and investment.

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and his Timorese counterpart Xanana Gusmao witnessed the signing of the agreement at the Istana on Monday.

Both leaders also welcomed the increasing interest among Singapore companies to explore business opportunities in Timor-Leste, particularly in the oil and gas sector.

They discussed domestic developments in Timor-Leste as well as regional matters, including Timor-Leste's application for membership to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

Mr Lee said: "Timor-Leste naturally wants to strengthen its ties with the region and desires to join ASEAN. The ASEAN Coordinating Council Working Group is looking into all aspects of Timor-Leste's application. During the recent ASEAN Summit in April, the leaders agreed that the Working Group should consider Timor-Leste's participation in ASEAN activities in the context of your need for capacity building."

In 2012, bilateral trade between Singapore and Timor-Leste stood at S$665 million.

Singapore has also trained over 400 Timorese officials in areas like human resource management and economic development since Timor-Leste became independent.

~News courtesy of Channel Newsasia~

China tourists' boorish ways raise blushes

China tourists' boorish ways raise blushes

From faking marriage certificates to get honeymoon discounts in the Maldives to letting children defecate on the floor of a Taiwan airport, Chinese tourists have recently found themselves at the centre of controversy and anger.

Thanks to microblogging sites in China, accounts of tourists behaving badly spread like wildfire across the country, provoking disgust, ire and soul-searching.

While in the past such reports might have been dismissed as attacks on the good nature of Chinese travellers, people in the world's second-largest economy are starting to ask why their countrymen and women are so badly behaved.

When a story broke recently that a 15-year-old Chinese boy had scratched his name on a sculpture in a 3,500-year-old temple in Egypt's Luxor, the furore was such that questions were even asked about it at a Foreign Ministry news briefing.

"There are more and more Chinese tourists travelling to other countries in recent years," ministry spokesman Hong Lei said on Monday.

"We hope that this tourism will improve friendship with foreign countries and we also hope that Chinese tourists will abide by local laws and regulations and behave themselves."

Other incidents have attracted similar anger, including that of a mother who let her children defecate on the floor of Kaohsiung Airport in Taiwan - just metres from a toilet - after putting newspaper down first.

To be sure, the influx of newly-wealthy Chinese travelling around world has brought economic benefits widely welcomed in many countries, and many tourists are well-behaved and respectful.

More than 83 million Chinese tourists travelled overseas last year, and Chinese expenditure on travel abroad reached US$102 billion (S$129 billion) last year, the highest in the world according to the United Nations' World Tourism Organization.

~News courtesy of Omy~