Strategic Management
Table of Contents Table of Contents ........................................................................................................ii 1.Introduction............................................................................................................. 1 History ..................................................................................................................... 1 Management Structure ............................................................................................ 2 Corporate ....................................................................................................................2 Vision & Mission....................................................................................................... 2 Vision................................................................................................................... 2 Mission................................................................................................................. 3 Objectives................................................................................................................ 3 SWOT Analysis............................................................................................................4 Policies....................................................................................................................... 6 Resource Management ...............................................................................................6 Achievements............................................................................................................. 7 Milestones reached during 2006............................................................................. 8 Awards........................................................................................................................9 Tourism Statistics Singapore and Sentosa ...............................................................11 Conclusion and Recommendation ...........................................................................13 References ................................................................................................................ 15
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1. Introduction Sentosa built in the serene environment with hardly any damage to the natural tranquility, Sentosa is home to numerous beautiful attraction sites, hotels, resorts, dining chambers, beautiful beaches and shopping and many more entertainment such. Sentosa is located in the southern tip of Singapore. Sentosa Island is one of the big tourist attractions in Singapore. The island is considered being a quick getaway as well as a popular place among Singaporeans as well as foreigner’s. Sentosa provides many different attractions for all age groups. Sentosa provides a range of excitements which includes, for example The Dolphin Lagoon, which provides total excitement for aqua marine lovers and for the whole family. Visitors who love the out-door environment, such as wildlife Butterfly’s, can look into the Butterfly Park (for a wide range of wild Butterflies) & a wide range of insects. Sentosa further, more has the tallest Sky Tower in Singapore, which has the tallest observatory tower which can be viewed at 131 meters below. Due the height of the observation tower, viewers are able to have a clear view of neighboring countries. Singapore’s much popular symbol which is the 37 meters high, the half fish and half lion (Merlion) brings visitors’ closer to the sea nature as well as the wild. People who love the sea & beach, Sentosa provides three man made beaches which are named, Tanjong, Palawan & Siloso. Visitors who love outdoor games, such as volleyball can go to Siloso. Tanjong is the quietest for an evening dinner after a hard days walk at the hip beach club. Palawan provides visitors who love to have a swim in the ocean.
History Sentosa was historically a small fishing village set in the deepest setbacks of humanity. History records diseases (later found to be malaria), killed many due to the water stagnation which enabled the growth of fungi. It was used as a British Military academy until 1986 but in 1987 the Independent Singapore government decided to construct in its place a holiday resort for the benefit of locals and also to attract tourists. 1
Strategic Management Sentosa Development Corporation incorporated in 1972 was the constructor and supervisor of these plans on behalf of the Singapore Government. Developments and additions to the initial plan has stretched Sentosa throughout the whole island, and currently in the world, Sentosa is known to be “Singapore's premier island resort getaway with multi-faceted appeal, teeming with events all year round. Just 15 minutes from the city, it is a unique blend of leisure and recreational facilities including family attractions, sea sports, golf as well as hotel accommodation and retreats”
Management Structure
Sentosa Development Corporation
Sentosa leisure Management Pte Ltd
Sentosa Cove Pte Ltd
Sentosa Golf Club
Southern Island Development
Mount Faber leisure Group
From the figure 1.2, it clearly shows that Sentosa is managed under an umbrella group, which is known as (Sentosa Development Corporation (SDC). SDC as a statutory board operating under Ministry of Trade Industry was started on 1st September 1972.
Corporate Vision & Mission Vision
The Vision Statement of Sentosa claim that they are the “leader in shaping leisure and lifestyle experiences, plays a integral role in making Singapore a global city”
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Strategic Management They further state that they will achieve this goal by enhancing their strong and unique capabilities in leisure management. Their unique techniques that are capable of providing a serene and peaceful surrounding for the visitors, is to be preserved and maintained by all employees at all times, to make Sentosa the number one leisure and entertainment facility in Asia. Employing and training the citizens of Singapore to “deliver the Sentosa experience” will make sure that the standards are maintained. And providing top class leisure experience for everybody who chooses Sentosa is one of the main goals of this company. Mission The Mission of Sentosa is to “embrace the conservation of fauna and flora, and environmental
practices for sustainable development and protection of the natural resources, heritage and the island’s history.” In other words, Sentosa not only aims to provide and become the best leisure and entertainment provider in Asia but they also aim to preserve the locality and their cultures and most importantly refrain from becoming hazardous to the environment. All the resorts and sites that belong on the Sentosa Island are involved in this project of preserving the green and the culture of the island.
Objectives
A main objective of Sentosa is to educate the public about ways and means to preserve greenery and contribute to the green challenge. A strong message emitted by Sentosa to the public is to preserve the natural habitat that belongs to Singapore. By preserving, the habitat, Sentosa believes that historical culture cannot be tainted. This is mostly important in securing their belief that they are able to provide the highest standard of leisure, entertainment and living for their clients. Sentosa supports scientific experiments through which they gain knowledge and specify strategies that can be followed. The importance of these experiments and research is the need to specifically work out strategies that can successfully and most effectively preserve nature.
Sentosa promotes the gaining of knowledge about the effective nature conservation policies, strategies, the preservation of its island and natural resources through various scientific surveys, researches and other assessments.
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The promotions of the above activities are also done through different public forums, conferences, media reports, programs and events.
Sentosa aims at involving the community and the public in all projects that are related to the contribution, promotion, preservation and development of nature, eco-systems, wildlife, natural heritage and culture.
Their also enhance the public awareness for the environmental conservation and make people enjoy their walk of life into the nature not only at the present but also for the future. (Corporate Social Responsibility, (2009). Available from http://www.sentosa.com.sg/corporate/csr.html [Accessed 30 June 2009].)
SWOT Analysis
Strengths 1. Host for major events •
Forbes Global CEO Conference 2007, where the world’s leading industries captains get to meet in one place and have intensive, interactive discussions and build long term partnerships.
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Siloso Beach Party 31 Dec 2007- New year’s eve Siloso beach party is one of the biggest outdoor beach parties in Singapore which plays mix of music and attract locals and foreigners.
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Barclays Singapore Open 2007- Asia’s richest national golf o pen held on 1st to 4th Nov.
2. Strategic Location
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Strategic Management Sentosa is an island by itself which spreads over 500-hectares and it includes various family attractions, sandy beaches, water sports, golf courses and hotel resorts etc. and easy to reach by ferry. The greatest highlight here is the Merlion that represents Singapore’s official mascot.
3. Political Stability
Singapore government is highly stable and promotes business. This is the greatest strength for the Sentosa. 4. Wonderful infrastructure
Perfect infrastructure that includes colorful mosaic sculptures of various creatures from the sea, monorail touring, and spice and herb plantation depicting Indo-Malay Archipelago. (Warren, W., Tettoni, L.I., Invernizzi, L. 2001. Singapore, City of Gardens, Thomas Telford.) Weakness
1. There is limitation in the land space available which prohibits future development. 2. Lack of strong workforce with hospitality specialization. Opportunities
There are various opportunities open to the Sentosa Islands. Some of them are listed below: 1. Singapore government lends full support for successful infrastructure and promotes enhancements on regular basis. 2. Singapore is termed as a shopping hub and is known for its clean and safe environment and also the best blend of east and west. 3. It provides opportunities for the stakeholders to expand their global network, brand
presence and to build awareness to the residents
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(Partnership Opportunities, (2009) Available from http://www.sentosa.com.sg/corporate/partnership.html [Accessed 30 June 2009].)
Threats
It is required for any business to overcome all the threats for its prosperity. The following are the threats faced by Sentosa, 1. There are many local tourisms being promoted by the regional countries.
2. Sentosa faces competition from other forms of resorts, theme parks and the casinos. 3. The other threats include the recession in the country which has reduced the number of people entering the place, various disease breaks and terrorism activities. (Resorts World where Imagination Lives. Available from http://www.slideshare.net/d0minic77/resorts-world2 [Accessed 30 June 2009].)
Policies
Sentosa follows a privacy policy by keeping all the personal information safe, secure and private. They generally password protect the information that is got from a person and information are contained in a server located behind the “firewall” so as to protect the contents from the outside users. However they have external parties to verify the standards. These external parties must also abide by certain privacy standards (The Sentosa – Legal (2008), Available from http://www.thesentosa.com/en/hotel/beaufort/singapore/sentosa/corporate/legal/index.html [Accessed 29 June 2009].)
Resource Management
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Strategic Management Sentosa resorts have been recently given to the Sembawang engineers who have the expertise to manage complex projects. One the powerful tool that they use to manage manpower which is the requirement for their success is the Primavera. This enables in the critical allocation of the manpower. This tool provides a standardized platform which helps to keep a track of the work in progress in continuum. Thereby any issues that arise are addressed spontaneously. This is a web based tool enabling the workers to work from anywhere at any time (Crown Systems Pvt Ltd, 2008. Project Management Today. Available from http://www.crownsys.com.sg/newsletter/May08.pdf [Accessed 30 June 2009].)
Achievements
Sentosa has been under continuous development since 1972. The Sentosa Leisure Group formerly called the Sentosa Development Corporation had taken great efforts to turn the island to a tourist spot. All over the 1970’s attractions had been opening up in the island to bring in more tourists. There was a cable car ride linking Mount Faber and Sentosa, Fort Silosa and a Wax Museum. In 1980’s, the Iconic Musical Fountain and a Ferry terminal to provide service to the mainland were established. Many reclamation works was conducted simultaneously on the island. In the late 1990’s three resorts came out in the spectacular island to welcome the visitors. These include the Shangri-La’s Rasa Sentosa Resort, Sijori Sentosa Resort and NTUC Sentosa Beach Resort. Sentosa’s achievements do not stop here. Many clubs were opened which faced the sea. This has paved way to the welcome of more tourists and has enhanced the infrastructure as well. Sentosa is expecting about 20 million visitors in 2010. To cope up with crowd, many new parallel roads are under construction. The Resorts World at Sentosa which is considered to be its dream project is expected to enlighten the island. It includes the FestiveWalk in the central zone, Universal studios in the east and the water attractions in the west. This project is more than 50% completed and is expected to be the greatest achievement of the island
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Strategic Management (Miriah, C.V. 2007. Sentosa IR: Reclamation is progress. Available from http://wildsingaporenews.blogspot.com/2007/12/sentosa-ir-reclamation-is-progress.html [Accessed 29 June 2009].)
The major milestone in 2006 is elaborated below.
Milestones reached during 2006
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Completed the monorail system o
The $140 million monorail system was completed within the course of the year. This enables Sentosa to provide much better faster and more convenient transportation system.
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The birth of many new and exciting adventures o
‘Hip’ factor at Siloso beach – One of the main upgrades to Sentosa Leisure Island is the exciting new beach and built along it the Siloso Beach Resort. This also includes an international sunset club. Similar to all the existing resorts at the time, Siloso Beach resort also includes villas and residential areas.
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Songs of the Sea – this attraction became a huge success secluding an award as well. It’s a show produces using water jets, laser lights, pyrotechnics and fire. It’s a theme show about the sea and underwater world.
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Upgrades in the amphitheatre – new additions to the amphitheatre during 2006 were cockatoos, pythons and macaques. The amphitheatre also accommodates the world famous Hi5 children’s singing group for children’s entertainment.
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Palawan Beach – the already existing Palawan beach was upgraded to attract a new segment of visitors. The upgrades have highlighted family space and the renovations provide leisure time for families.
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More means of convenient access to the sites and Sentosa
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This includes the new monorail and more buses operating to and from the island and within the island as well.
Awards
The Awards won by Sentosa in the recent years have made them become one of the leading Amusement parks in South East Asia. Some of the awards won by Sentosa are listed below, a. IAAPA (International Association of Amusement Parks and attractions) This is one of the prestigious awards for Sentosa given at the Asia Attractions Expo 2009 at a ceremony held in Seoul, Korea. This award means a lot because this was based on the online vote which was opened both to the public and the industry professionals as Sentosa was facing a strong competition in South East Asia by the Hong Kong Disneyland. (Westerman, A. 2009. Sentosa wins top award for 3rd consecutive year at Asian Attractions Awards. Available from http://www.thrillnetwork.com/news/2833/sentosa-wins-top-award-for3rd-consecutive-year-at-asian-attractions-awards.html [Accessed 29 June 2009].)
b. In 2008 This was the year in which Sentosa grabbed almost all the awards not only in Singapore but also in South East Asia
Excellent Service award This award was given to Sentosa from a prestigious organization SPRING Singapore. It won the award for attraction sector and the year of Excellent Service Award. Out of 300 winners Sentosa grabbed 120 which were higher than 2007 where they had 113 winners.
ATTA It is called as Asia Travel & Tourism Creative Awards 2008 which promotes creativity in the travel and tourism industry in South East Asia. This award was given to Sentosa for the second
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Strategic Management time consecutively. This award will help Sentosa to attract more people and enhance the number of industries in the resort.
International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (IAAPA) This award was given to Sentosa for their best advertising, Marketing and Public Relations in the attraction Industry. They bagged two awards in 2008 under Class 4.
Customer Relationship Excellence (CRE) Awards 2008 Julian Ong from Sentosa beach Operations was the winner in the CRE wards from Sentosa. He was among the Service Excellent Service Award and represented not only the Sentosa islands but also the Singapore. The CRE awards is organized by the Customer Service Consortium (APCSC) based in Hong Kong which recognizes top service representatives from Asia pacific region for the service they have provided with world Class Service standards.
CSSP (Community Safety and Security Programme) The award recognizes and encourages the local safety and security. This was clinched by Sentosa for the recognition of Sentosa joint Bomb blast evacuation exercise with the Singapore Defense and the Police. This is responsible to provide a multi racial community and build a safe and secured environment in Singapore.
ASEANTA This was the winning label to one of the attraction in Sentosa (Songs of the Sea). Within the year of open this attraction has grabbed the Second award. This ASEANTA ward was given in Bangkok which gives a boost to the travel experience with unique features. 10
Strategic Management Songs of the Sea was created by a designer Yves Pepin which attracted around 1 million Audiences with the year of open in Sentosa. (Awards, (2009), Available from http://www.sentosa.com.sg/about_us/sentosa_island/awards.html [Accessed 29 June 2009].)
Tourism Statistics Singapore and Sentosa Tourism sector is one of the most important sectors which are being focused by Singapore. In 2007, there was around 5.5% increase in the visitors’ arrival in Singapore. At the present stage Singapore has become one of the attraction spot with all the awards which Sentosa has been receiving and attracting more and more visitors coming into Singapore. The chart below shows the increase in the tourism Sector in Singapore.
(Source: Singapore Tourism Board. 2008. Annual Report on tourism statistics 2007. Available fromhttp://app.stb.gov.sg/Data/pages/12/b53b3a3d6ab90ce0268229151c9bde11/annual_report_ 2007.pdf [Accessed 30 June 2009].) 11
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Singapore has many places of Attractions like Sentosa, Night Safari, Singapore Cable Car, Singapore Zoo, Jurong Bird Park. There was no surprise in the tourism sector that Sentosa Island attracted more amount of tourist. Even though there was a decrease in the visitor in Sentosa in the year 2007 it still stands as the first in the paid access sector. And orchard road stand next with about 73% of visitors attraction spot in the free Access sector. The Graph below shows the percentage of visitors for three years.
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Strategic Management (Source: Singapore Tourism Board. 2008. Annual Report on tourism statistics 2007. Available fromhttp://app.stb.gov.sg/Data/pages/12/b53b3a3d6ab90ce0268229151c9bde11/annual_report_ 2007.pdf [Accessed 30 June 2009].)
Conclusion and Recommendation
The analysis will provide conclusive comments on Sentosa in Singapore. The future scope and some recommendations for Sentosa are also being mentioned here. The Amusement park (Sentosa) will provide an excellent experience to everyone who visits Singapore and it is also opening gates for many other industries to be put up in the island. With the tourism board of Singapore encouraging the Sentosa Development Corporation, in the coming years we can see more number of tourists and locals visiting the Sentosa. With all the Awards and the Service Excellence it will continue to be the greatest competitor to Hong Kong Disneyland. In this competitive world, it is very essential for the Tourism Board and the government of Singapore to support Sentosa so that it not only helps them but also it will provide the government with more revenue from the Corporation. From the study we can see that both the tourists and the locals are in love with this Amusement park. However there are a few recommendations that I would like to give to enhance the advantage of the Sentosa islands further. The places in Sentosa are almost spectacular. There are always drawbacks in all good activities as well. With the recommendations given below, it is expected that Sentosa would attract more visitors in near future.
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Strategic Management People all over the world are greatly attracted by the water rides. Sentosa lacks in these activities. The management can work on the water activities to develop the infrastructure in a better way that would call in more people and kids. Sentosa has many rich resorts and restaurants inside the island. By opening resorts at lower cost (can term them as budget resorts), Sentosa can attract people even during the recession. With the opening of water rides, people would enjoy staying at these budget resorts and enjoy the new island atmosphere. Another major change that I would recommend to the management is their working timing. There are many activities which close by early evenings. This at times annoys the visitors who pay a huge amount to enter the island but are compelled to leave before they could complete all of them on time. Thus the management can make the timing of the various events more flexible. Thus by implementing the above mentioned changes, the management is said to be developed more strategically to attract more visitors. The places in the night can also be improved and can be supported by HKTB so that in the future Hong Kong can see a rapid growth in tourist visiting their country.
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References 1. Warren, W., Tettoni, L.I., Invernizzi, L. 2001. Singapore, City of Gardens, Thomas
Telford. 2. Awards, (2009), Available from
http://www.sentosa.com.sg/about_us/sentosa_island/awards.html [Accessed 29 June 2009]. 3. Corporate Social Responsibility, (2009). Available from
http://www.sentosa.com.sg/corporate/csr.html [Accessed 30 June 2009]. 4. Crown Systems Pvt Ltd, 2008. Project Management Today. Available from
http://www.crownsys.com.sg/newsletter/May08.pdf [Accessed 30 June 2009]. 5. Masterplan projects, (2009), Available from
http://www.sentosa.com.sg/about_us/sentosa_island/masterplan_projects_masterproject.h tml [Accessed 28 June 2009]. 6. Milestones, (2009), Available from
http://www.sentosa.com.sg/about_us/sentosa_island/milestones.html [Accessed 29 June 2009]. 7. Miriah, C.V. 2007. Sentosa IR: Reclamation is progress. Available from
http://wildsingaporenews.blogspot.com/2007/12/sentosa-ir-reclamation-is-progress.html [Accessed 29 June 2009]. 8. Partnership Opportunities, (2009) Available from
http://www.sentosa.com.sg/corporate/partnership.html [Accessed 30 June 2009]. 15
Strategic Management 9. Resorts World where Imagination Lives. Available from
http://www.slideshare.net/d0minic77/resorts-world2 [Accessed 30 June 2009]. 10. Welcome to Sentosa, (2009), Available from
http://www.sentosa.com.sg/explore_sentosa/index.html [Accessed 29 June 2009]. 11. Singapore Tourism Board. 2008. Annual Report on tourism statistics 2007 . Available
from http://app.stb.gov.sg/Data/pages/12/b53b3a3d6ab90ce0268229151c9bde11/annual_report _2007.pdf [Accessed 30 June 2009]. 12. The Sentosa – Legal (2008), Available from
http://www.thesentosa.com/en/hotel/beaufort/singapore/sentosa/corporate/legal/index.ht ml [Accessed 29 June 2009]. 13. Vision and Values.(2009), Available from
http://www.sentosa.com.sg/corporate/vision_mission.html [Accessed 28 June 2009]. 14. Westerman, A. 2009. Sentosa wins top award for 3rd consecutive year at Asian Attractions Awards. Available from http://www.thrillnetwork.com/news/2833/sentosa-
wins-top-award-for-3rd-consecutive-year-at-asian-attractions-awards.html [Accessed 29 June 2009].
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