September 24, 2019

World Tourism Day, marked every 27^th of September, recognises tourism as a key sector of the global economy, contributing to 10% of the world’s GDP and providing one in ten jobs.

A key part of a tourist’s travel experience is their chosen place of stay. Whether you see yourself as a penny-pinching backpacker or a luxury traveller, your selected accommodation will always form an essential component of your voyage, and in some instances could make or break your travelling experience.

In “Heritage Boutique Hotels as ‘Experienscapes’: Three Views from Singapore” (Asian Journal of Tourism Research, 2017), Associate Professor Chang Tou Chuang (NUS Geography) investigates the experiences of guests and staff of heritage boutique hotels. The article considers hotels to be a crucial part of the tourism economy, similar to other experiential landscapes such as theme parks and shopping malls. Examining through multiple lenses of experience, A/P Chang sought to understand the ‘experienscapes’ of three groups of people – the hotel worker, the guest, and the neighbour/resident living in the vicinity. These ‘experienscapes’ are defined as the created and contested experiences produced within the hotel landscape.

The article examines various heritage boutique hotels in Singapore such as the New Majestic Hotel, the Wanderlust Hotel, the Scarlet Hotel, and the Porcelain Hotel, revealing how tourism is strongly linked to people’s relationships with places and spaces. It further suggests how proper planning is needed to ensure that tourism development benefits not just tourists, but locals too. Ultimately, it illustrates the challenges facing the experience economy of the tourism industry.

Read it here.