1. Robot revival
Top hotels including M Social, Sofitel and Yotel have incorporated robots as part of their service strategy. These early models are tasked with everything from cooking eggs and assisting with housekeeping to delivering room service. A sign of things to come in hospitality?
Expert view: Yvonne Tham, CEO, The Esplanade Co Ltd
“I think Singapore will be more compassionate, inclusive and proud of the arts and culture, both here and within our region. As the economy relies more on automation and our society becomes increasingly complex, we need people to be empathetic, curious and critical, as it is even more important for these human qualities to shine through. The curiosity to ask why, the desire to learn more about another culture or the ability to see things – these will help us be a better city, nation and global citizen.”
“At the Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay, we aim to be inclusive, foster empathy and bring about a greater understanding of different cultures and communities through free festivals. Come 2021, we will have the new Singtel Waterfront Theatre, a 550-seat space that’ll help further support future generations of artists to create new works that tell Singaporean and Asian stories and widen our engagement with various communities.”
57% of households were located within a 10-minute walk of a train station in 2012. 80% of households to be located within a 10-minute walk of a train station in 2030
2. Siew mai from the lab
Singapore is looking to grow and raise 30% of its own produce by 2030 and the government has pledged up to S$144 million for research in food innovation, including funding cell-based meat for a more sustainable food system. Research is underway for the nation’s own lab-grown, cell-based meat, an example being Singapore-based Shiok Meats. The startup is perfecting its lab-grown shrimp and hopes to finalise a lobster prototype in 2021.
Population of Singapore • 2019: 5.867 million • 2030: 6.477 million • 2060: 6.761 million
3. State of fun
Sentosa, Singapore’s tourist island, will see two new attractions – Super Nintendo World and Minion Park. The S.E.A. Aquarium will also be rebranded as the Singapore Oceanarium and become three times bigger. The project is set to be completed by 2025.
4. A whole new playground
Interactive playtime at the stunning new Jewel at Changi Airport has now entered the realm of gamification: The Pokémon Explorer app can only be played within the confines of the mall and consists of themed missions to complete, encouraging customers to constantly seek out new areas. The brand new Sky Nets attraction also just opened, giving you a 250m long stretch above the foliage to bounce on.
Illustration by André Wee
SEE ALSO: The growth of grassroots tourism in Malang, Surabaya
This article was originally published in the August 2019 issue of SilverKris magazine
