Singapore has always had a reputation as a clean and green city. While few think of this dense metropolis as a green attraction, perhaps it is time to reconsider, given the gains the country has made in reintroducing nature into its urban environment. This rethink is timely in the wake of the pandemic as the tourism industry is in flux. The Sentosa Development Corporation is planning feasibility studies focusing on new and sustainable tourism opportunities. This will likely result in revisions to the Sentosa-Brani masterplan, announced in 2019, which was meant to guide the redevelopment of the two islands over the next two to three decades. It may be counter-intuitive to think of this little red dot as a destination for nature. Yet Singapore has unexpected wells of biodiversity. The discovery of three new species of moss animals at the Sisters' Island Marine Park is the latest example of how nature can surprise, survive and thrive here.

Over the past decade, there has been a steady stream of reports about new-to-science discoveries, ranging from fireflies to spiders, while flora and fauna once thought extinct here have also returned to Singapore shores. These gains may seem modest in the global context, but they are significant given Singapore's position as a land- scarce, densely populated island. They also present a surprising new aspect of this cosmopolitan destination to visitors more accustomed to hearing about the nation's rapid urbanisation rather than its gradual greening. Singapore's push to become a biophilic city has been gaining momentum, with the recent announcement of four new parks that will form the Labrador Nature Park Network. Singapore residents will be the main beneficiary of these initiatives. But just as Singapore's beloved hawker culture has become a tourist attraction, the nation's green spaces might grow into a draw too.