Singapore university prepares for tourist surge during China’s ‘golden week’
National University of Singapore to restrict tourists from using campus shuttle service, food courts at UTown during holiday period
A Singapore university is bracing itself for a rush of tourists during China’s “golden week” national holiday, amid complaints of an influx of visitors earlier this year.
In a statement from the National University of Singapore Students’ Union on Thursday, president Huang Ziwei told students that more tourist visitors were expected from next Monday to October 7, during China’s week-long National Day break.
Tourists will not be allowed to use the campus shuttle service between 8am and 2pm from September 30 to October 7, with some exceptions, while access to food courts at the university’s UTown will be restricted to students, staff and authorised persons from 11am to 2pm.
These measures were announced ahead of an expected surge in Chinese tourists during China’s coming golden week, which begins around October 1. Tens of millions of Chinese citizens would travel to family reunions or go on vacation during the holiday.
“We have been working closely with the management-appointed taskforce to ensure that proactive measures are in place to address any potential influx of tourist visitors,” said Huang in the statement seen by This Week in Asia.
Last month, the university announced it would introduce a registration system for tour buses and a visitor access system to control crowds in certain areas. Undergraduates were also being trained to lead guided tours. NUS said then it aimed to have these new measures ready by January 2025.
