SINGAPORE - The once-vibrant area of Kampong Gelam turned quiet two years ago when the Covid-19 pandemic began, hurting businesses there.
In an attempt to bring footfall back to the historic area, the business association for the precinct, One Kampong Gelam, held a light projection show for the first time in April last year, with the Sultan Mosque as the canvas.
The five-minute display, which ran twice a day for a month, drew more than 100,000 visitors to the area. As a result, the surrounding shops and eateries enjoyed a 40 per cent increase in sales during the campaign.
For its efforts, the association was given the Special Recognition Award at the Singapore Tourism Awards 2022 on Tuesday (May 24).
Organised by the Singapore Tourism Board, the award ceremony held at Shangri-La Hotel recognises the resilience and innovation of organisations and individuals in the tourism sector.
Projecting a light show onto the mosque's facade was not easy as the organisers had to erect a four-storey-high scaffold that could support four 25kg projectors in a small space opposite the mosque.
"Pre-Covid-19, it was very vibrant and the place was always full house. We wanted to create opportunities for people to visit again.
"At the same time, we wanted to use this chance to educate visitors on what Kampong Gelam is about," said the association's spokesman.
That same month, the association also turned some of the 5m-high metal hoardings lining Bali Lane and Ophir Road into a 230m-long graffiti wall to attract visitors after businesses expressed concern that people would be put off by construction work and the ensuing noise in the area.
The hoardings had gone up around February last year for the construction of the North-South Corridor, a transport route slated for completion in 2027.
Efforts of industry players helped to keep tourism offerings in Singapore safe and vibrant, said Minister of State for Trade and Industry, Mr Alvin Tan, who was present at the awards ceremony.
"For anybody in the hospitality and tourism sector, it was in your DNA to be open, to be hospitable, and to welcome people.
"But for two years, you've had to go against that... We've had to close up, (keep a safe) social distance, and do things very differently," said Mr Tan, adding that the pandemic has been incredibly difficult for the industry.
STB chief executive Keith Tan said the board received 427 nominations for its awards this year. There were 81 finalists across the 24 award categories.
One of the finalists for the Outstanding Attraction Experience category was SkyHelix Sentosa, an open-air panoramic ride that opened in December.
Mr Buhdy Bok, managing director of Mount Faber Leisure Group, which operates the ride, said being shortlisted for the award within its first year of operations comes as an incredible honour.
"Despite the pandemic, we overcame the odds and opened the attraction ahead of schedule for visitors to experience during the year-end holidays," he said, adding that the response from the local crowd has been positive, with seats being sold out in its first month of operations.
The attraction has also seen an uptick in international tourists since April.
