Who is the Zoo targeting?
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| Families are seen bringing their children to the Zoo |
I would classify the zoo’s main visitor as ‘families with
children’. The families could be locals as well as tourists. However the amount
of tourist to local’s ratios is 2:8, so there would be more Singaporeans who
would visit the zoo rather than tourists. There is the Rainforest Kidzworld
catered to young children which includes an “Animal Friends Show”, the wet play
area, the wild animal carousel ride and many more other activities that
encourage kids to learn through exploration on their own. Also, there are
animal shows and animal feeding during different time slots which caters to the
whole family to allow family bonding.
These families are usually with young children ranging from 2
years of age to 11. The parents could be bringing them to get exposed to
different things that could not be learnt in the classrooms or at home. The
benefits they seek in bringing young children to the zoo is to gain knowledge
as well as to have family bonding at the same time. Kids above 12 years old are
usually seen visiting with schools for educational trips instead.
Families with young children usually drive to the zoo if
they own a car. If not, they would usually take the buses available. There are
2 direct buses to the zoo which are 138 and 927. Families who own a car are
more likely to visit more often as it is more convenient for them.
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| Direct bus services |
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| SBS bus services |
For families with kids who are already schooling, they would
usually visit the zoo during weekends or during the school holidays where there
are no school. For families with kids who are not schooling yet, or have a
flexible schooling hours, the parents usually bring their kids to visit during
the weekdays as there are lesser crowds around.
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| Rental services |
There are also prams and wagons rental for kids but it is
charged at a fee. This is to cater to parents with kids. This could allow
parents to bring their kids around even when they are tired of walking because
kids can be easily exhausted especially during such humid seasons in Singapore.
The fees are:
Prams - $9
Wagons - $15
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Why should you visit the zoo?
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| Otters! |
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| Fatty Hippo |
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| Orangutans! |
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| The fiercest rhino |
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| Cheetah looking at us. "Can I eat them up?" |
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| Feeding time for the giraffes! |
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| Just playing around |
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| The humans, they look so far away! |
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| Sleeping pigs |
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| Stripes @@ |
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| Feeding the goats... |
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| Lovely penguins out for a little sun. |
As I was only able to recommend one attraction for you to
visit, I felt that the zoo was the most appropriate. This is because you are a
tourism student as well and the zoo is a leisure and recreation area to have
fun and gain knowledge at the same time. I felt that the zoo has the most
relation to tourism, which is what we are studying. Furthermore, as most
countries also have their own unique zoos, we are able to make a comparison
between Singapore’s and theirs. And through this, we are able to find out what
draws people to Singapore zoo and what makes it so unique that some visitors
even return on their next trip here. To add on, you are able to add on to your
knowledge through this visit as there are lots of signboards filled with
information about the animals and about the rainforest itself. There are also
boards with histories and stores of the zoo as well. You are also able to
escape from the busy city life and relax in a totally different experience as
the zoo features a rainforest concept. It allows monkeys to roam freely, so you
are also able to have close contact with the animals. This brings about a
totally different atmosphere from visiting domestic animals.
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| Kids wet play area |
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| Rainforest fights back |
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| Educational information at the beginning of the trail |
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| Fun facts at Rainforest Kidzworld |
The main core product that the zoo offers are education,
experience as well as entertainment. As I have mentioned earlier, educational
information are easily available throughout the zoo. There is also the
Rainforest Kidzworld targeted specially at children to enrich their journey to
the zoo. They also have talks and shows like “Animal friends how”, “Elephants
at work and play” and the “Rainforest fights back”. The Singapore zoo also
offers a different experience to the visitors as they adopt the concept of an ‘open
zoo’. In this way, visitors are able to get up close and personal to meet the
animals. For entertainment, the shows as well as feeding sessions will provide
you with it. The boat rides, wild animal carousel and the kids play area also
serve as sources of entertainment.
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| the map of the zoo |
The tangible products are programs, ambience, staffs,
brochures as well as the brand name of the Singapore zoo. All these help to
deliver the core product. You can be prepared to fill your day with a whole
list of activities. The staffs on the frontline are also very friendly and
informative. The brochure is also filled with detailed information like the
show times, where the toilets are and also a map of the zoo. Also, the zoo is
Singapore’s national icon and it is also an internationally recognized brand so
there would be quite a high number of visitors to the zoo, so the more that
gives you the reason to come!
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| We ordered iced milk tea shake |
Lastly, the augmented products are the opening hours, food
and beverages outlets, retail, facilities, accessibility, the weather, car
parks as well as the procedure for handling complaints.
As the zoo has over 2800 animals, over 300 species of
animals and it also has many walk through exhibits, you are able to gain more
knowledge after this trip. Some other benefits include family bonding if you
decide to bring your family over as well and also you are able to experience
quality services by the staffs. You are also able to experience a different
atmosphere and have a breather from your hectic life and relax for a day at the
zoo with fun and joy.
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Challenges the Zoo faces
The staffs of the zoo involved in producing and delivering
the experience will be part of the product too. So, the attitudes, behaviours
and also their appearance whether neat or messy is vital for the product to be
seen as positive by the customers. Being a frontline staff, they have to behave
appropriately, have proper grooming and have a positive attitude towards their
work. The zoo also needs their staffs to be able to work closely with animals
as well as humans. However, if they do things in the opposite way, it might
pose as a weakness of the zoo. Like example, if an employee was to be angry on
a particular day and he vent his anger on a customer, what would the customer
think and how will they feel? They would definitely think that the zoo has poor
staff management and their service is bad. To summarise, it is difficult to
ensure that staffs are up to standard all the time so the recruitment and
training process is relatively important. And also, it is crucial to motivate
the employees. But fret not because the staffs at the zoo are certainly
friendly and cheerful all the time! They are also very informative and are
willing to answer your questions anytime!
The customers for all attractions are never identical so the
visitors to the zoo will customize the product accordingly to their attitudes,
expectations and experiences of the zoo. In this case, you as a customer is
also part of the production process, which means you might visit the zoo to
seek knowledge and entertainment which is what the zoo offers. It would also
provide you with a unique experience which you want to pursue because you want
to know the reason why I did not choose the other attractions. However, for the
people who doesn’t seek for the things that the zoo offers, it would not appeal
to visitors as a place they would want to visit.
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| It was raining during the elephants show. |
The service products of the zoo is not standardized as the
product is ever-changing and the experiences gained can vary from day to day.
Because the service provider and the product is inseparable, the quality of the
service is dependent on both the provider and the customer. For example, the
attitude of a staff can influence how the service is being received on a
particular day. Furthermore, the weather can also have an impact on the
zoo. For instance, if it rains at the
zoo today and it did not tomorrow, and you went to the zoo on both dates, you
would enjoy yourself more on a sunny day compared to a rainy one. You can see
that the pleasure you can derive from your visit to the zoo might not be the
same every time. This will affect the zoo’s visitor rate tremendously,
especially during rainy seasons as guests would not want to be drenched while
enjoying the animals.
The zoo is perishable as it could not be stored for later
use, it is being produced and consumed simultaneously. For example, if the
animals in the zoo are not being viewed by visitors today, they might die
tomorrow. Also, the food at the dining outlets in the zoo could not be stored
to be used tomorrow if the item is fresh and is to be eaten today. Furthermore,
if the zoo is able to hold let’s say a million people a day and only half of
the amount of tickets are sold, the opportunity cost of the area used for the
zoo could not be used for other things. And the area not used to hold any
visitors could not be stored for tomorrow to hold 1, 500, 000 visitors as its
capacity is only a million visitors at a time. This will cause the product to
not be utilized fully and the zoo would not be able to hit its targeted amount
of visitors that day.
As a zoo, the thing one can bring home is the experience,
the knowledge gained as well as entertainment. All these are intangible
products which could not be inspected before purchasing and you would not be
able to refund or exchange the experience if it is substandard. Customers would
find it hard to decide whether to go to the zoo as it does not provide any
tangible products to carry home. However,
the zoo had come up with palpable products for the customers like you to bring
home. Such as souvenirs from the gift shop, brochures, information on the
websites and also reviews. These will assist you to make your decision whether
to visit the zoo or not.
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| Colorful signboards |
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| Colorful & attractive signs |
Lastly, the aesthetics and design of the layout of the zoo are
also features of the service. The architect needs to consider all five senses
when designing the zoo as it could determine whether it looks attractive or
not. The design must appeal to you and make you happy so that you would return.
For instance, the zoo would be so unattractive if there were only just animals
and no flora and fauna around. Also, if there were no colourful signboards and
there was only green and brown everywhere, it would be so boring to look
around. And it would definitely affect your mood to make you not return again.
So, if the aesthetics of the zoo is not eye-catching enough, people might not
even want to visit for the first time.
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Why is the zoo a successful attraction?
Firstly, the Singapore zoo has the world’s most beautiful
wildlife park settings where the animals are free to roam about in the open and
habitats that look similar to their natural environment. This explains why the
zoo has adopted an “open concept” of zoo keeping. This means that animals are
not kept in cages unlike most zoos in the world. But are kept surrounded by
deep moats to separate them from us. Orang utans are also free to wander around
the zoo, showcasing them in their most natural habitat. Some other primates are
also able to swing freely from trees to trees all around the zoo. So, guests
like us are able to get up close and personal with the animals and admire them.
The zoo is the nine time winner of the coveted Best Leisure
Attraction Experience which is awarded by Singapore Tourism board. It also has
the award winning “Jungle breakfast with wildlife” which is an international
buffet which you get the chance to get up close and personal with the orang
utans and you could take pictures as mementoes. It also received the Singapore
Service Excellence Medallion which is a top honour that indicates that the
service provided by the Singapore zoo is top notch and guests are very
satisfied with it. This shows that you would definitely be able to enjoy
yourself around with the friendly zookeepers! The above that I shared are all
proven to be true as a reviewer from tripadvisor stated “Enjoyed the buffet
breakfast. Plenty of fresh fruit, toast, Asian delights and so on to try. Good
brewed coffee served to table by friendly staffs.” All customers would expect
staffs to be friendly and their services to be good. And the Singapore zoo is
able to meet the needs of the consumers.
There are facilities like the toilets which have a jungle
theme and also adopts an “open zoo” concept. There are also diaper changing
facility and nursing rooms which allow parents to cater to their children’s
needs. Lockers can also be found in the zoo and is charged at SGD$3 per rental.
There are also shower facilities at the Rainforest Kidzworld to cater to those
that need to wash up after playing in the ‘Wet Play Area’. Trolley rental is at
SGD$15 while strollers are at SGD$9 per rental. Disabled friendly services are
offered as well. There are wheelchair rental with no charge at the entrance of
the zoo and about 90% of the zoo is accessible by wheelchair so elderlies in
the family can also enjoy their time in the attraction. Restrooms are
handicapped friendly as well. The zoo itself is designed in a way such that
there are slopes and special spaces reserved for the handicapped during shows
and the exhibits.
There are also programs catered to families with children. There are animal shows which provide children
with opportunities to gain more knowledge on the animals in the zoo; they are
able to benefit from these shows. There are also tours provided for the family
as well as for children only which are called “Wild Discoverer Tour” and
“Kidzranger Tour” respectively. There are also rides available such as boat,
elephant, horse and the guided tram ride. However, they are all available upon
a fee.
All these factors make the Singapore zoo unique and
different from the other zoos in the world. And they have been quite successful
in creating its brand internationally. The Singapore zoo is the attraction
which most tourists would tend to visit during their stay in Singapore and many
tour packages have included the zoo’s ticket inside it.
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Impact of the Zoo on Singapore
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| The queue for the tickets were so long... |
An economic impact of the zoo on Singapore is that it helps
to increase our tourism receipts from the sale of tickets, the revenue earned
from the souvenirs sold and so on. Tourists like yourself bring in foreign
currencies and then spend it here so it will generate profits for the zoo as
well as for Singapore. This is because you will need to spend on transportation
and maybe food along the way too, you will also need accommodation while
staying here. The zoo is also able to provide job opportunities as they would
need lots of employees due to the influx of visitors. For instance, ticketing
staffs, operation staffs and retail staffs.
One environmental impact would be that the zoo causes harm
to the surroundings. An example would be that tourists would tend to litter and
it would make Singapore look like it is not a clean country. Other tourists
might not choose to visit Singapore or the zoo because of this. Also, the
tearing down of trees or destroying of grasses to build pathways could also
harm the environment. As the natural environment of the zoo is being
demolished, it might also create air pollution at the same time. All these will
cause a negative impact on the environment.
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| Ah Meng restaurant |
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| Pictures of Ah Meng displayed outside the restaurant |
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| Taken with 'Ah Meng' |
So, I’ve recommended the Singapore zoo and I have prepared
these to answer your questions and for you to learn more about this place prior
to your visit. I hope that all these would spur you to visit the zoo instead of
all other attractions.
References
Chiang, C., Hong, C., Peng, A., Yu, R., Fah, P., kaviratne,
N., & Loh, I. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.zoo.com.sg/
Zoo, Jungle Breakfast - Singapore Zoo, Singapore Traveller
Reviews - TripAdvisor. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.tripadvisor.com.sg/ShowUserReviews-g294265-d324542-r17597366-Singapore_Zoo-Singapore.html
Singapore zoo. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.slideshare.net/michaellung85/singapore-zoo
Singapore Zoo :: Attractions :: Around Town :: Time Out
Singapore. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.timeoutsingapore.com/aroundtown/venues/attractions/singapore-zoo
Singapore Zoo | Infopedia. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://infopedia.nl.sg/articles/SIP_403_2005-01-19.html
Singapore Zoo - Worldwide Wildlife Without Cages - Getting
There, Getting Around. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://goseasia.about.com/od/singaporestopattractions/a/singzoo.htm
Singapore Zoo, Wild Discoverer Tour, Wildlife Singapore,
Animal Kingdom by myonlinetour.com. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.myonlinetour.com/poi/zoo/
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