i'mpact Singapore Tourism Board Annual Report 2010/2011
i'mpact Singapore Tourism Board Annual Report 2010/2011
i'mpact Singapore Tourism Board Annual Report 2010/2011
Create successful ePaper yourself
Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.
<strong>Tourism</strong> Sector Performance<br />
No less exciting was the world’s inaugural Youth Olympics<br />
Games, held from 14 to 26 August <strong>2010</strong>. The Games made<br />
history by being the first of its kind to be dedicated solely<br />
to youths, and was the latest to be added to the Olympic<br />
movement in close to 100 years. The event gave <strong>Singapore</strong><br />
immense media coverage and boosted tourism numbers.<br />
With its mass global appeal and strong brand equity, these<br />
mega sporting events have provided the perfect platform to<br />
profile <strong>Singapore</strong> internationally and showcased the country<br />
as a vibrant sporting nation and world-class events and<br />
entertainment capital.<br />
Education<br />
Building trust<br />
The private education sector underwent several significant<br />
developments in <strong>2010</strong>. The Council for Private Education<br />
(CPE) was launched to regulate the industry with two schemes<br />
under the Private Education Act – the Enhanced Registration<br />
Framework and the EduTrust Certification scheme. With the<br />
new schemes, all Private Education Institutions (PEIs) are now<br />
required to register with CPE. In addition, PEIs enrolling foreign<br />
students must meet stringent requirements to obtain EduTrust<br />
certification, a welcome move that will raise confidence among<br />
potential students and parents. Two established PEIs, the<br />
<strong>Singapore</strong> Institute of Management and the Management<br />
Development Institute of <strong>Singapore</strong>, were among the first to<br />
attain the four-year EduTrust certification in May <strong>2010</strong> and<br />
have since expanded their facilities to cater to the increase in<br />
international students.<br />
FORMULA ONE fever also hit schools, with the World Finals<br />
for the F1 in Schools World Championships taking place in<br />
<strong>Singapore</strong>. Some 25 teams from 18 countries vied for the<br />
coveted trophy. A total of 51 local schools also took part in the<br />
F1 in Schools World Championships Technology Challenge<br />
Finals <strong>2010</strong>, graced by the event ambassador Formula BMW<br />
Pacific racing driver and multiple British kart racing champion<br />
Richard Bradley.<br />
Other local organisations have offered short experiential<br />
programmes with interactive learning opportunities. Wildlife<br />
Reserves <strong>Singapore</strong> offers educational programmes such<br />
as overnight camps, behind-the-scenes tours, show-andtell<br />
sessions and the Zoomazing Race, all of which provide<br />
unique opportunities for overseas students to gain valuable<br />
insights into the animal kingdom. Underwater World <strong>Singapore</strong><br />
is making waves too in interactive learning with its Schooling<br />
School and Living in the Ocean marine conservation<br />
programmes, which have proven to be popular with overseas<br />
student groups. STB also works closely with organisations<br />
such as NYU-Tisch School of the Arts, Resorts World Sentosa<br />
Integrated Resort and ArtScience Museum to offer highly<br />
immersive experiences to foreign participants wishing to<br />
incorporate an unconventional, interactive learning element into<br />
their trip.<br />
The creation of the Private Education Act was launched to boost trust in<br />
<strong>Singapore</strong>’s education system.<br />
45