Tourism and economic values of the Singapore Biennale 2008

The Singapore Biennale 2008 is spurred on by the success of its predecessor, the Singapore Biennale 2006 which attracted more than 883000 people and generated more than 1000 press articles putting Singapore on the international art scene quickly through the publicity. The successor of the event is also bound to bring back people who were impressed by the first Singapore Biennale.

According to Getz (2005), economic and tourism roles of events can be explained with 5 factors; place marketing, tourist attraction, image maker, catalyst and animator.

Place Marketing is about creating a positive image of the destination, improving quality of life and attracting investors and residents. Although SB2008 is irrelevant in the case of the last 2 points because it is not that major of an event to make such a difference, it however, does create a positive image of Singapore as an international platform for the arts. This can be seen through the SB2006 which was very successful and received widespread publicity through its success and instantly placed Singapore on the international arts stage.

A Tourist Attraction event attracts tourists, spread demand and increases visitor spending and length of stay. The Singapore Biennale 2008 strives to attract art regulars from all around the world by showcasing visual art mainly from Asia and collaborates with similar exhibitions to form the Art Compass 2008 which is targeted at art regulars which wish to travel around Asia Pacific to view the exhibitions involved. Tourists who come to Singapore for the SB2008 will not only visit the exhibition but will also utilise facilities such as accommodation, food and beverage, transport etc. and this translates into tourism revenue for Singapore.

Image maker constitutes the event forming an image of the attraction, resort or destination. In this case, SB2008 tries to portray the City Hall as an artsy place, building on its rich colonial history. Furthermore, as part of the transformation of Singapore’s civic district into a bustling arts and cultural hub, City Hall will be converted into a world class national art gallery by 2013. It fortifies the image of City Hall into a place for Arts which is intended for it as it will be converted into a world class national art gallery.

The event should also act as a Catalyst. In this case, the SB2008 acts as an opportunity for artists to showcase their artworks and this, in some way or another stimulates business. It also supports other attractions by the partnership with the Singapore Flyer which was open in March this year. In order to benefit tourism and the economy in the country, the event must not only earn profits and achieve its objectives but also should generate activity for other attractions.

An Animator encourages first and repeat visits at facilities, resorts and attractions. As mentioned earlier, SB2008 partnered with Singapore Flyer to come up with a package which allows visitors to purchase Singapore Flyer tickets at a lower price. The lower price motivates people to ride on the Singapore Flyer and their first visits may spell subsequent visits in the future.


http://www.singaporebiennale.org/venues-cityhall.html