RECEPTIVITY OF ECOTOURISM PRODUCTS AMONG SINGAPOREAN TRAVELERS

Michael Chiam 글로벌지식마케팅경영학회 2014 Global Marketing Conference Vol.2014 No.7

This study focuses on Singaporeans’ perceptions of ecotourism products. Singapore is a highly urban country with very little green areas. Most of Singapore’s green spaces are man-made. Because of the lack of natural environment as compared to other Asian countries, such as Taiwan, Japan and China, Singaporeans generally have very little exposure, understanding and appreciation of eco-products. This study attempts to add knowledge to the understanding of urban residents’ (such as Singaporeans) attitudes towards ecotourism products so that marketers are able to better develop or customize their ecotourism products to better meet the needs of these potential customers. A survey was conducted in high traffic areas throughout Singapore, such as train stations, bus interchanges and shopping malls. Convenience sampling was used because the study is exploratory. Interviewers were instructed to survey people aged 20 and older, an age group when people make their own vacation choices. The survey was divided into five parts: travel motivation, vacation choices, environmental consciousness, vacation selection and demographic profiles. Respondents were asked to rank their travel motivations, similar to the ones used by Eagles (1992). Respondents were classified as “ecotourists” or “mainstream” using the criteria of Litvin (1996) and Litvin and Chiam (2014). Respondents were asked to rate a series of statements pertaining to their perception of new ecotourism products. For vacation choices, the respondents were asked to rate a series of statements related to their leadership abilities to influence others on ecotourism products and their knowledge about tourist products, especially those related to ecotourism. In the section on environmental consciousness, respondents were asked how their attitude towards environmental issues influences their purchasing decisions when they are on vacation. Data was analyzed using the t-test to determine if there was any significant difference between the ecotourists and the mainstream tourists. The respondents were then given two vacation choices, an ecotourism product and a mainstream tourist product. They were required to select one of them for their vacation.The last section collected demographic data, such as age, education, household income as well as their marital status. A total of 333 adults participated in this study, 60% female, most younger than 40 years old and single. More than half of the respondents had completed their post-secondary education and belong to middle-income households. About a third of the respondents were classified as “ecotourists” and the rest as mainstream tourists. The average age of the ecotourists was slightly lower than the mainstream tourists (34.19 as compared to 36.93). More than half (55.6%) of the ecotourists have at least a university degree, while the rate of this for mainstream tourists was slightly lower (42.9%). More mainstream tourists (81.6%) see themselves as belonging to upper- and middle-income households than do ecotourists (79.6%). Both the ecotourists and mainstream tourists selected “having fun and being entertained” and “being together as a family” as their top two motivations for travel. Not surprisingly, the desire to be in the wilderness and undisturbed nature and visiting national and state parks appears to be more prominent among the ecotourists than among the mainstream tourists. When the respondents were asked to choose between a pair of vacation packages, one mainstream and one ecotourism, the results were not surprising. More than half (54.8%) of the ecotourists chose an ecotourism package, as compared to only 30.5% of the mainstream tourists. The ecotourists tended to be more knowledgeable about travel destinations and were more proactive in searching for information on new vacation destinations. They were more willing to try new and even unknown vacation destinations. For example, using a Likert scale of 1 to 5, with 1 signifying “strongly disagree” and 5 “strongly agree,” ecotourists were more willing to go to a new destination even if they had not heard about it (3.29) than were mainstream tourists (3.15), Using a Likert scale of 1 to 6, with 1 signifying “strongly disagree” and 6 “strongly agree,” the ecotourists were more environmentally conscious than mainstream tourists. For example, they were willing to pay extra for eco-friendly travel products (4.13) than were mainstream tourists (3.87). The ecotourists were also more likely to consider environmental issues when making their tourism purchases (3.97) than were the mainstream tourists (3.79). The results show that there were significantly more ecotourists among this adult sample (34.8%) than among Litvin’s (1996) sample of students (26%). There are several possible explanations for this phenomenon. For instance, an adult population might be more aware of ecotourism and more conscious of environmental conservation. The ecotourists tend to be younger and have slightly lower income than mainstream tourists. In order to incentivize this younger population to consume ecotourism products, marketers will have to source more value-for-money eco-destinations for these cost-conscious tourists. This could be done through using the existing facilities used by the locals and authentic experiences could be created by lodging and eating with the locals using local produce found in the same vicinity. This study also found differences based on nationality. The top two motivations among the Singaporean ecotourists are (1) have fun and being entertained and (2) being together as a family, whereas the Canadian ecotourists ranked (1) wilderness and undisturbed nature and (2) lakes and streams as their two top motivations for travel. These differences can be attributed to national values (Asian vs. Canadian) as well as differences in exposure to eco-sites. Asian families value being together. Therefore, when they go overseas for a holiday, they like to go as a family, viewing vacation as an opportunity for bonding among the family members. The results seem to reflect that Singapore is a city, and most of the livable space is filled with concrete buildings and structures. Most of the limited green space in Singapore is man-made, with the exception of a few eco-sites. In contrast, many western countries offer vast natural sites such as mountain, streams, parks and wilderness for the locals to use for their leisure activities. Therefore, the urban Singaporeans might choose to spend leisure hours in activities that are not available at home, such as wild water rafting, trekking in the wilderness and camping next to a lake. What can marketers do to market ecotourism products to Singaporeans? Since being with family for holiday and having fun with each other are deemed important to Singaporeans, marketers may want to develop ecotourism products that are suitable for families. In these packages, this could include some fun activities such as staying in a log house next to the lake where they can enjoy meals cooked from produce found in that location and also learn about conservation of the environment. Since Singaporean ecotourists are environmentally conscious, marketers may want to sell ecotourism products that have an environmental conservation message. For instance, they might create programs whereby, for every dollar spent in each of these ecotourism products, a certain percentage will be donated to conservation programs. By educating the Singaporean travelers, more mainstream travelers may be made aware of these travel options and may want to try these ecotourism products. To attract ecotourists, marketers may want to strengthen their ecotourism product offerings to give these travelers more vacation options.

RECEPTIVITY OF ECOTOURISM PRODUCTS AMONG SINGAPOREAN TRAVELERS

Michael Chiam 글로벌지식마케팅경영학회 2014 Global Marketing Conference Vol.2014 No.2

This study focuses on Singaporeans’ perceptions of ecotourism products. Singapore is a highly urban country with very little green areas. Most of Singapore’s green spaces are man-made. Because of the lack of natural environment as compared to other Asian countries, such as Taiwan, Japan and China, Singaporeans generally have very little exposure, understanding and appreciation of eco-products. This study attempts to add knowledge to the understanding of urban residents’ (such as Singaporeans) attitudes towards ecotourism products so that marketers are able to better develop or customize their ecotourism products to better meet the needs of these potential customers. A survey was conducted in high traffic areas throughout Singapore, such as train stations, bus interchanges and shopping malls. Convenience sampling was used because the study is exploratory. Interviewers were instructed to survey people aged 20 and older, an age group when people make their own vacation choices. The survey was divided into five parts: travel motivation, vacation choices, environmental consciousness, vacation selection and demographic profiles. Respondents were asked to rank their travel motivations, similar to the ones used by Eagles (1992). Respondents were classified as “ecotourists” or “mainstream” using the criteria of Litvin (1996) and Litvin and Chiam (2014). Respondents were asked to rate a series of statements pertaining to their perception of new ecotourism products. For vacation choices, the respondents were asked to rate a series of statements related to their leadership abilities to influence others on ecotourism products and their knowledge about tourist products, especially those related to ecotourism. In the section on environmental consciousness, respondents were asked how their attitude towards environmental issues influences their purchasing decisions when they are on vacation. Data was analyzed using the t-test to determine if there was any significant difference between the ecotourists and the mainstream tourists. The respondents were then given two vacation choices, an ecotourism product and a mainstream tourist product. They were required to select one of them for their vacation.The last section collected demographic data, such as age, education, household income as well as their marital status. A total of 333 adults participated in this study, 60% female, most younger than 40 years old and single. More than half of the respondents had completed their post-secondary education and belong to middle-income households. About a third of the respondents were classified as “ecotourists” and the rest as mainstream tourists. The average age of the ecotourists was slightly lower than the mainstream tourists (34.19 as compared to 36.93). More than half (55.6%) of the ecotourists have at least a university degree, while the rate of this for mainstream tourists was slightly lower (42.9%). More mainstream tourists (81.6%) see themselves as belonging to upper- and middle-income households than do ecotourists (79.6%). Both the ecotourists and mainstream tourists selected “having fun and being entertained” and “being together as a family” as their top two motivations for travel. Not surprisingly, the desire to be in the wilderness and undisturbed nature and visiting national and state parks appears to be more prominent among the ecotourists than among the mainstream tourists. When the respondents were asked to choose between a pair of vacation packages, one mainstream and one ecotourism, the results were not surprising. More than half (54.8%) of the ecotourists chose an ecotourism package, as compared to only 30.5% of the mainstream tourists. The ecotourists tended to be more knowledgeable about travel destinations and were more proactive in searching for information on new vacation destinations. They were more willing to try new and even unknown vacation destinations. For example, using a Likert scale of 1 to 5, with 1 signifying “strongly disagree” and 5 “strongly agree,” ecotourists were more willing to go to a new destination even if they had not heard about it (3.29) than were mainstream tourists (3.15), Using a Likert scale of 1 to 6, with 1 signifying “strongly disagree” and 6 “strongly agree,” the ecotourists were more environmentally conscious than mainstream tourists. For example, they were willing to pay extra for eco-friendly travel products (4.13) than were mainstream tourists (3.87). The ecotourists were also more likely to consider environmental issues when making their tourism purchases (3.97) than were the mainstream tourists (3.79). The results show that there were significantly more ecotourists among this adult sample (34.8%) than among Litvin’s (1996) sample of students (26%). There are several possible explanations for this phenomenon. For instance, an adult population might be more aware of ecotourism and more conscious of environmental conservation. The ecotourists tend to be younger and have slightly lower income than mainstream tourists. In order to incentivize this younger population to consume ecotourism products, marketers will have to source more value-for-money eco-destinations for these cost-conscious tourists. This could be done through using the existing facilities used by the locals and authentic experiences could be created by lodging and eating with the locals using local produce found in the same vicinity. This study also found differences based on nationality. The top two motivations among the Singaporean ecotourists are (1) have fun and being entertained and (2) being together as a family, whereas the Canadian ecotourists ranked (1) wilderness and undisturbed nature and (2) lakes and streams as their two top motivations for travel. These differences can be attributed to national values (Asian vs. Canadian) as well as differences in exposure to eco-sites. Asian families value being together. Therefore, when they go overse

Metabolic Engineering of Saccharomyces Cerevisiae for the Production of 2,3-Butanediol

Chiam Yu NG,Tae-yeon KIM,Min-kyu OH 한국생물공학회 2011 한국생물공학회 학술대회 Vol.2011 No.4

Enhancing the production of 2,3-butanediol in Saccharomyces cerevisiae by in silico aided metabolic engineering

Chiam Yu NG,Min Kyu OH 한국생물공학회 2011 한국생물공학회 학술대회 Vol.2011 No.10

Current Status of Mucosal Imaging with Narrow-Band Imaging in the Esophagus

( Keng Hoong Chiam ),( Seon Ho Shin ),( Kun Cheong Choi ),( Florencia Leiria ),( Mariana Militz ),( Rajvinder Singh ) 대한소화기기능성질환·운동학회(구 대한소화관운동학회) 2021 Gut and Liver Vol.15 No.4

Recent advances in endoscopic imaging of the esophagus have revolutionized the diagnostic capability for detecting premalignant changes and early esophageal malignancy. In this article, we review the practical application of narrow-band imaging focusing on diseases of the esophagus, including Barrett’s esophagus, adenocarcinoma, and squamous cell carcinoma. (Gut Liver 2021;15:492-499)

Child Care in Malaysia: Then and Now

Heng Keng Chiam 육아정책연구소 2008 International Journal of Child Care and Education Vol.2 No.2

Child care services in Malaysia are instituted so that women can partake in the labour force. The Child Care Centre Act 1984 sets minimal standards and regulations. Possibly due to this minimum requirement, child care is seen as custodian care by the Government and parents. Changes in attitude and quality of care seem to be taking place. The Social Welfare Department with the cooperation of the Skill Development Department, Ministry of Human Resources, has drawn up the Standard Practice and Standard Content for child care providers in accordance with the National Occupation Skill Standard. This programme provides career pathways for child care providers. The Early Child Care and Development Policy is being finalized and the Quality Improvement and Accreditation System is ready but has yet to be implemented. In addition, the Deputy Prime Minister’s wife has initiated an early childhood programme, known as Permata Negara, which promotes holistic development of the child.

Deletion of lactate dehydrogenase in Enterobacter aerogenes to enhance 2,3-butanediol production

Jung, Moo-Young,Ng, Chiam Yu,Song, Hyohak,Lee, Jinwon,Oh, Min-Kyu Springer-Verlag 2012 Applied microbiology and biotechnology Vol.95 No.2

<P>2,3-Butanediol is an important bio-based chemical product, because it can be converted into several C4 industrial chemicals. In this study, a lactate dehydrogenase-deleted mutant was constructed to improve 2,3-butanediol productivity in Enterobacter aerogenes. To delete the gene encoding lactate dehydrogenase, λ Red recombination method was successfully adapted for E. aerogenes. The resulting strain produced a very small amount of lactate and 16.7% more 2,3-butanediol than that of the wild-type strain in batch fermentation. The mutant and its parental strain were then cultured with six different carbon sources, and the mutant showed higher carbon source consumption and microbial growth rates in all media. The 2,3-butanediol titer reached 69.5 g/l in 54 h during fed-batch fermentation with the mutant,which was 27.4% higher than that with the parental strain.With further optimization of the medium and aeration conditions,118.05 g/l 2,3-butanediol was produced in 54 h during fed-batch fermentation with the mutant. This is by far the highest titer of 2,3-butanediol with E. aerogenes achieved by metabolic pathway engineering.</P>

Examining the Physical Properties and Implications of Tuffisite Presence in Singapore

( Keisuke Tada ),( Yoshiro Yamashiro ),( Sing Lih Chiam ),( Yong Siang Lim ) 대한지질공학회 2019 대한지질공학회 학술발표회논문집 Vol.2019 No.2

It has been recently discovered that tuffisites distribute in the Bukit Timah Granite and Gombak Norite in central Singapore. Tuffisites are intrusive fragmental igneous rocks found in intrusive fractures formed by the explosive release of gas, highly pressurised hydrothermal fluid or magma. As tuffisites consist of brecciated and lithified fine to coarse grained rock fragments, which present different physical properties from the country rock, the distribution and physical properties of tuffisites can possess a significant impact on engineering properties of the rock mass in the plutons. The study summarises the distribution, condition, results of petrographic analysis, laboratory test and in-situ test of tuffisite observed at the Bukit Timah Granite and Gombak Norite in Singapore. Tuffisites are identified by petrographic analysis at four boreholes in depths from 37.0 to 172.0 metres and observed based on visual inspection at other four boreholes in depths from 15.7 to 150.0 metres. The distribution of tuffisites widely spreads across the plutons, and their thickness ranges from 0.1 to 134.3 metres. Unconfined compressive strength test and point load test results are summarised and assessed in terms of lithified condition of tuffisites. Tuffisites present relatively low strength compare to the country rock although the strengths vary with level of lithification, which implies that sudden strength change may be encountered in deep excavation at the plutons. Results of Lugeon test, porosity test, slake durability test and jointing degree are summarised and discussed to understand more about the mechanical properties of tuffisites.

Quantified degree of eccentricity of aortic valve calcification predicts risk of paravalvular regurgitation and response to balloon post-dilation after self-expandable transcatheter aortic valve replacement

Park, Jun-Bean,Hwang, In-Chang,Lee, Whal,Han, Jung-Kyu,Kim, Chi-Hoon,Lee, Seung-Pyo,Yang, Han-Mo,Park, Eun-Ah,Kim, Hyung-Kwan,Chiam, Paul T.L.,Kim, Yong-Jin,Koo, Bon-Kwon,Sohn, Dae-Won,Ahn, Hyuk,Kang, Elsevier 2018 INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CARDIOLOGY Vol.259 No.-

<P><B>Abstract</B></P> <P><B>Background</B></P> <P>Limited data exist regarding the impact of aortic valve calcification (AVC) eccentricity on the risk of paravalvular regurgitation (PVR) and response to balloon post-dilation (BPD) after transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR). We investigated the prognostic value of AVC eccentricity in predicting the risk of PVR and response to BPD in patients undergoing TAVR.</P> <P><B>Methods</B></P> <P>We analyzed 85 patients with severe aortic stenosis who underwent self-expandable TAVR (43 women; 77.2±7.1years). AVC was quantified as the total amount of calcification (total AVC load) and as the eccentricity of calcium (EoC) using calcium volume scoring with contrast computed tomography angiography (CTA). The EoC was defined as the maximum absolute difference in calcium volume scores between 2 adjacent sectors (bi-partition method) or between sectors based on leaflets (leaflet-based method).</P> <P><B>Results</B></P> <P>Total AVC load and bi-partition EoC, but not leaflet-based EoC, were significant predictors for the occurrence of ≥moderate PVR, and bi-partition EoC had a better predictive value than total AVC load (area under the curve [AUC]=0.863 versus 0.760, <I>p</I> for difference=0.006). In multivariate analysis, bi-partition EoC was an independent predictor for the risk of ≥moderate PVR regardless of perimeter oversizing index. The greater bi-partition EoC was the only significant parameter to predict poor response to BPD (AUC=0.775, <I>p</I> =0.004).</P> <P><B>Conclusion</B></P> <P>Pre-procedural assessment of AVC eccentricity using CTA as “bi-partition EoC” provides useful predictive information on the risk of significant PVR and response to BPD in patients undergoing TAVR with self-expandable valves.</P> <P><B>Highlights</B></P> <P> <UL> <LI> AV calcification has been suggested to be associated with PVR after TAVR. </LI> <LI> We developed a bi-partition method to assess eccentricity of AV calcification (EoC). </LI> <LI> Bi-partition EoC predicted the risk of PVR and response to balloon post-dilation. </LI> <LI> Bi-partition EoC had better predictive power than the conventional leaflet-based method. </LI> <LI> Measurement of the bi-partition EoC may be helpful in a patient undergoing TAVR. </LI> </UL> </P>