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In a survey conducted by the National Heritage
Board and the Singapore Tourism Board on visitor demographics and
perceptions of selected institutions under the Museum Roundtable –
a grouping of over 50 local museums in Singapore – seven out of
ten respondents said they were impressed with the wide range of
museums available.
The survey revealed that 37% of museum-goers
were from overseas. With increased efforts in international
publicity by the STB in the coming years, local museums are set to
welcome even more overseas visitors. It was found that some two
thirds of the tourists polled between February and September 2008
said they would give museums a go if they were given sufficient
information to include them as part of their itinerary before
arriving in Singapore.
The survey also found that 11% of overseas
visitors are repeat museum-goers. Of the tourists, Britons
constituted the bulk of museum visitors followed by Australians,
Americans, Indians and Filipinos. Most were aged 25 years and
above and 59% of the tourists were women.
Ms Jeannie Lim, Director of Attractions at the
Singapore Tourism Board, said, “Museums mirror the growth of our
city and present to the world various perspectives of the
Singapore Story. The number of overseas visitors to museums has
shown an encouraging increase over the past years. Of the ten
million tourists who came to Singapore last year, close to one
million visited our national museums. This year, special
promotions such as The Great Singapore Pass and the NHB Three-Day
Museum Pass, have increased awareness and made museums even more
accessible to tourists and locals.”
In 2008, over 6.5 million people visited the
museums in Singapore – a 26% jump from the year before. Singapore
showcases a diversity of museums, each with a focus ranging from
arts and culture to science and healthcare.
The iconic National Museum of Singapore
topped the list of the most visited museum with 871,800 visitors
in 2008. The other four most visited museums according to figures
from MR members were the National Library Gallery, Asian
Civilisations Museum, Images of Singapore and Singapore Art
Museum.
Some boutique museums also made the top 20
list including The Changi Museum, dedicated to the brave soldiers
who fought in Singapore during World War II, and The MINT Museum
of Toys, the world’s first purpose-built toy museum.
American resident, Ms Sandra Simmons
summed up the views of many tourists when she said: “I love the
museums in Singapore. I was surprised by their range and the depth
of focus. It was a simply lovely experience.”
NHB has
positioned museums in Singapore as a cultural gateway to Asia with
unique regional perspective of the region’s diverse cultures.
NHB’s CEO Michael Koh said that annual ASEAN-themed
celebrations such as the Vietnam Festival in 2008
and Philippines Fiesta this year are aimed at widening the outlook
of museum-goers in Singapore and offer a taste of different cultures and
experiences across Asia.
As part of NHB’s efforts to showcase
world class exhibitions and to stage Singapore-curated
shows overseas, the Board signed a Memorandum of Understanding
with Réunion des Musées Nationaux in Paris in January 2009 –
intensifying cultural cooperation and exchanges between the two
countries.
In 2010/11, Asian Civilisations Museum’s Peranakan
treasures will be on show in France in a traveling exhibition
entitled Between Multiple Worlds – The Chinese Peranakans of
Southeast Asia. This is the first time, Musée du quai Branly, a
national museum of France with a world-renowned collection of
artefacts from the non-western cultures of the world, is
presenting such a showcase of the Peranakan culture.
“We
believe that our museums have attained a certain level of
reputation in terms of quality,” said Mr Koh. “A prime example
is the recent donation by Chinese artist Wu Guanzhong to the
Singapore Art Museum. Worth $73.7 million, this was the biggest
donation our museums have received. Deciding to entrust his art
works with our museums shows his faith in our dedication to
preserve his collection for generations to come and to showcase
it to the world.”
Ms Alissandra Cummins, President of the
International Council of Museums (ICOM) during her recent visit
to Singapore, had the opportunity to visit a number of museums
here and remarked: “I am positively impressed by the high quality,
intriguing and accessible content and professional design of
Singapore’s museum galleries. The exhibits I encountered during
my trip have more than met international standards of
practice."
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