Individual Field Trip Assignment

1. Pre-visit research about One Faber Group’s Singapore Cable Car, Sentosa Merlion and Wings of Time. 

The Singapore Cable Car started operations on the 15^th of February 1974. It is classified as a monocable gondola lift. The round trip of the cable car starts from Mount Faber (Faber Peak Singapore) to the island of Sentosa across the Keppel Harbour. It is the first aerial ropeway system in the world to extent over a harbour. The Singapore Cable Car offers one day unlimited rides for an additional of $5 as well as 10% off when rides are booked online. They also offer special programmes such as dining on cloud 9 where couples can enjoy 4 course meals in standard or floral cabins for 90 minutes which is about 3 rounds for a price of $288 and $488 respectively. 

The Singapore Cable Car are priced at $33 for adult and $22 for child for both Mount Faber Line and Sentosa Line with entry to Sentosa Island. The Mount Faber Line with entry to Sentosa is priced at $29 for adults and $18 for child. The Sentosa Line excludes entry into Sentosa is priced at $13 for adults and $8 for child.

	Mount Faber + Sentosa Line	Mount Faber Line	Sentosa Line
Adult	$33	$29	$14
Child	$22	$18	$8

There are also membership opportunities where members get unlimited Cable Car rides from both Mount Faber and Sentosa lines, 20% off regular priced items at all Fun Shop outlets, unlimited Sentosa Island admission and 20% off total bill at all One Faber Group F&B Outlets. For a price of $39 per person for a year and $135 1-year membership for a family of 4.

There is also the Evening Rider offer where adults get to ride the cable car at child price. The Evening Rider starts at 6pm onwards daily. A round trip which includes both Mount Faber and Sentosa Lines adults will get to save about 33%. The Mount Faber Line adults get to save 38% and the Sentosa Line adults save 38%.

	Mount Faber + Sentosa Line	Mount Faber Line	Sentosa Line
Adult/Child	$22	$18	$8

The Singapore Cable Car uses the price bundling structure where visitors get more value for money when they purchase 2 Line together rather than purchasing the Mount Faber and Sentosa Line individually.

The Sentosa Merlion an overview the Sentosa Merlion was built in 1995. It was designed and sculpted by an Australian Artist, James Martin. The Sentosa Merlion sits on a base that resembles the bagua which is believed to bring prosperity and wealth. There are 320 scales which are shaped like the bagua. The teeth represent and signifies the prosperity of all the different ethnic groups in Singapore which are Malay, Chinese, Indian and Eurasian. The Singapore icon is the largest and tallest Merlion in Singapore 37m to be exact. When standing on the Merlion’s head visitors will be towering at 60 metres above sea level. The Merlion offers 360 degrees view of the Sentosa Island, the prosperity bell to ring in the luck, limited edition prosperity coins and finally café and shop to acquire unique souvenirs and indulge in food. Their special event includes the admission free Merlion light show at the Merlion Plaza where the Merlion lights up with hip music to compliment. There are 4 shows with 30 minutes interval starting from 7.45pm and ending at 9.15pm. An additional 2 shows at 9.45pm and 10.15pm on weekends, eve of public holidays and public holidays. 

As for the admission, standard tickets are priced at $12 for adults and $9 for child and senior citizens. The admission for local residents which includes permanent residents are priced at $10 for adults and $7.50 for child and senior citizens. The Sentosa Merlion uses the demographic pricing structure which focuses on characteristics such as nationality and age group.

Wings of Time is an Award Winning Outdoor Night Show in the world situated at the majestic open sea. The multi-sensory presentation of the latest multimedia effects, including 3D projection mapping, state-of-the-art lasers, robotic water fountains and giant water jets, pyrotechnics, fire and music fused together to allow visitors to experience a magical adventure. There are 2 show times one at 7.40pm and another at 8.40pm daily. Visitors get to enjoy S$3 off food and beverage and get a free snack from the food kiosks. The admission tickets for premium seat are priced at $23 for both standard and local resident tickets. Normal seats are $18 for a standard ticket and $15 for a local resident ticket.

The attraction engages with visitors via posters, signage, Sentosa Island publicity videos, logos of the attractions, advertisements online as well as around Vivo City and in Sentosa Island. These publicity materials are seen constantly by visitors and potential visitors which intrigues and creates curiosity for the the visitors to know more about the attraction and eventually visit these attractions.

2. My field trip experience, observation and experience during my visit to Singapore Cable Car, Sentosa Merlion and Wings of Time

The Singapore Cable Car has a unique experience apart from getting into the Sentosa Island via trail or land transports. It also allows visitors to get a scenic and aerial view from Mount Faber to Sentosa Island. The view is very ideal for photo taking and adds elements of thrill to their trip. At the Singapore Cable Car Centre, the service was prompt everyone was friendly. The Singapore Cable Car is structured like a ride that can be found in theme parks which creates a nice anticipation for the tourist. I did not have an opportunity to engage with other tourists while riding the Cable Car as different groups of people where in separate cars. Instead, I was able to engage better with my group of friends. The most exciting part was being 93m above sea level and being able to see the picturesque views of Harbourfront and Sentosa Island. The opportunity to take stunning Instagram worthy pictures was also another element that excited me. I was not disappointed about any aspect of the Cable Car ride it lived up to my expectation.

 

The Sentosa Merlion is an iconic statue that signifies Singapore as a lion and fishing city. I was always interested in knowing the origin story of Merlion which is not commonly told thus, by going to the attraction I was able to learn about how the myth of Merlion came about. Unlike the Merlion situated at the Merlion park the Sentosa Merlion is larger in size. I was also able to access into the magnificent statue and take great photographs of the Sea and Sentosa Island from the mouth and head viewing gallery. Before heading to the viewing gallery, inside the Merlion there was a photo gallery depicting mystical creatures which was very interesting and well presented. There was also a cartoon show that told the Merlion story which was short and sweet that tied the whole experience well. The attraction was the most engaging since the Merlion wasn’t very large I had to share spaces with tourists. In my experience, I met South Korean tourists who were very nice and taken awe to the scenery that they witnessed from both viewing galleries. The mouth viewing gallery had a wishing bell called the prosperity bell where everyone took turns to have a go. We cheered on one another after someone rang the bell adding the fun element of the overall experience of the attraction. The view from the mouth viewing gallery excited me the most as it was something out of the ordinary. Most of the time when I visit Sentosa Island I only got to witness the Merlion from afar. For the first time, I got to take in views from inside the mouth of the Merlion which unique. The part that disappointed the most was there were groups of tourists. The viewing galleries were not large so I had to rush to take photographs in order to make way for others.

Wings of Time was an attraction that I was looking forward too as it was a water and light show. I always found colourful visual arts and performance very intriguing which interested me to attend Wings of Time. This attraction might also attract tourists who enjoy entertainment. The sitting area for the attraction was amazing it was large and allowed me to choose where I wanted to be seated. The show was epic the way the water, lights and music came together to tell a story was amazing. The extra fire elements also added to the overall performance and experience of the show. The attraction was engaging but I did not get to engage with other tourists as everyone were rather more concentrated on watching the show.  I was extremely enthusiastic when learned that there will be fireworks at the end of the show. The firework was a nice touch to end the show as well as my fun-filled day at Sentosa. The part that disappointed me the most was the length of the show the story could have been longer.

  

3. Motivators that creates demand for visitors to visit Singapore Cable Car, Sentosa Merlion and Wings of Time.

The motivators of demand for the Singapore Cable Car are thrill and excitement. They also have a change of atmosphere, sensations and experience. The Singapore Cable Car add an element of fun and uniqueness to the tourist’s itinerary. The Sentosa Merlion motivators of demand would be historical significance of Merlion and what it means to Singapore as a country. It is also rather educational as tourists get to learn how the statue came about. Tourists have an opportunity to buy a particular type of Merlion souvenirs such as the Merlion soft toys, keychains and the Merlion prosperity coins. Tourists also get to experience a difference of atmosphere as they are able to stand 60m above sea levels and get scenic views of Singapore. The motivators for Wings of Time would be aesthetic pleasure of enjoying music, lights, and water. The uniqueness of incorporating different elements into a performance which creates excitement and fun for visitors.

4. Three possible challenges One Faber Group might face.

Bad Weather/Climate

As most of the attractions are outdoor related when it rains it could really affect the experience of the attractions. When it is raining heavily the visitors would not be able to see outside the Singapore Cable Car which will affect the entire experience of the attraction. When it rains the visitors will be able to complete the indoor galleries in the Sentosa Merlion but their experience will be affected when they are accessing the head and mouth viewing gallery. Wings of Time will also be a rather pleasurable experience as the seats would be wet from the rain. Hence, the weather will play a significant part in the overall One Faber Group attractions. Even when it is too hot it will be rather uncomfortable for visitors to complete all the attractions. Visitors might opt to rest at areas or head to Vivo City for some shopping.

Competition both locally and overseas

Tourists that frequently visit Singapore are from countries such as China, India and Malaysia. All these countries have their own Cable Car establishments which are longer in distances. Thus, the Singapore Cable Car might not appeal much to them. As there are different versions of the Merlion some tourists might opt to visit the other Merlions or other attractions in Sentosa such as Universal Studios, SEA Aquarium and Adventure cove. Rather than visiting the Sentosa Merlion and to experience the view. Wings of Time is an extravagant show but there is also another laser light and music show at Marina Bay Shoppee and is of free charge. Which is could be a reason to why tourists might want to experience the same show format for free.

Non-Peak periods

During non-peak periods, the attractions might not get the targeted number of visitors. By doing so the tickets get perished and attractions might look very empty and dull. The experience will also be rather unfulfilling as visitors might find the lack of interacting rather boring.