Tourists must register, book slots in Jan 2025 for NUS campus tours and pair up with student guide

SINGAPORE - Visitors planning to tour the National University of Singapore (NUS) campus between Jan 13 and Feb 21 must register and book a group tour slot.

Those not accompanied by a student ambassador or docent will be asked to leave the campus, said an NUS spokeswoman in response to queries from The Straits Times.

The move, NUS said, is aimed at managing visitor traffic on its grounds during peak period – the latest in a series of measures taken by the administration to manage a growing

influx of tourists to the campus near Clementi.

Earlier in 2024, reports emerged of large crowds of visitors to NUS taking up seats meant for students and leaving behind a mess. The large numbers of visitors also resulted in long waiting times for toilets, overcrowded campus shuttle bus services, and long lines at eateries, including canteens.

On Dec 22, NUS said Singapore Tourism Board-licensed travel agents and tourist guides can book a group tour guided by an NUS student ambassador or engage a registered student docent for a tour of the campus.

Other visitors can book a group tour guided by a registered student docent, the spokeswoman added.

Tour groups will also need to submit details of their bus licence plates before the visit, as part of the registration requirements, she said.

During this peak period, the NUS internal shuttle bus service will be available only to NUS students, staff and authorised persons from Mondays to Fridays, from 8am to 2pm.

Also, access to University Town foodcourts will be restricted to NUS students, staff and authorised persons from Mondays to Fridays, from 11am to 2pm.

The campus will be closed to visitors on the following dates in 2025 due to activities with high student participation and increased traffic:

In August 2024, the National University of Singapore Students’ Union

called for a town hall

with university management and undergraduates to address student woes linked to the influx of tourists.

NUS later issued a circular to staff and students to manage visitors, including putting in place by January 2025

limited daily slots for tour buses

entering campus. That period is expected to be the next tourist peak season.

Tourist numbers are expected to remain high from January to February, and peak again from July to August.

By then, all students running tours on campus will need to register with the Office of the Provost. Registered student docents must also reserve slots for tours they wish to conduct, with limited slots available each day.

Unlicensed tour guides found conducting tours in NUS will be reported to the authorities, while students conducting unreserved tours will be subject to disciplinary action, NUS said.