Singapore's new "Gardens by the Bay" powers it's tourism marketing

70,000 people visited the stunning Bay South Garden, the first of the stunning Gardens by the Bay attractions in Singapore, in only the first two days of its opening.

Six years in the making and one billion dollars in cost the Bay South Garden is expected to attract several millions of visitors both from Singapore and Asia Pacific over the next few years.

Once all three Gardens are completed  Singapore will boast a stunning new attraction that compares with New York’s Central Park and London’s Hyde park to compliment its Botanic Gardens and multitude of nature reserves.

Spanning 101 hectares, Gardens by the Bay is an integral part of a strategy by the Singapore government to transform Singapore from a ‘Garden City’ to a ‘City in a Garden’. The stated aim is to raise the quality of life by enhancing greenery and flora in the city.

Images of the 54-hectare Bay South - in particular, the 18 massive steel super trees and the shiny bio domes of the two conservatories - have had a global impact, appearing in newspapers like The New York Times and on influential design websites such as Dezeen.

The overall concept of its master plan draws inspiration from an orchid as it is representative of the tropics and of Singapore, being the country’s national flower.

The conservatory complex comprises two cooled conservatories – the Flower Dome and the Cloud Forest, situated along the edge of the Marina Reservoir. The Conservatories are intended to be an innovative energy efficient showcase of ground breaking sustainable building technologies and to provide an all-weather edutainment space within the Gardens.

As well being a tourist attraction it is also a revenue generating vehicle;

• OCBC are the main sponsor of the nightly sound and light displays as well as the amazing walkway across the gardens. At a cost of S$8M OCBC view the commitment as supporting the local community and reinforcing its home bank credentials
• There are several rock, pop, classical and opera concerts planned in what must be one of the most stunning settings in Asia
• Singapore is already the number one MICE venue in Asia and organizers see the Gardens as being another reason for events to be held in Singapore with yet more compelling attractions for people to visit
• Although the Gardens are free the two flower domes and walkway are charged for, with Singaporean residents being charged substantially less than tourists
• The biggest cost is actually to the Singapore Government who gave up the opportunity to use the land (which is scarce in the tropical island) for commercial or residential uses and to exploit it to create the wonder of the Gardens which will no doubt be paid back in spades from the millions of visitors expected to visit it