Contemporary Special Interest Tourism (BHT3012)

AY 2015/16 Semester October

Mandatory self-directed field visit

(Individual assignment, 20 marks)

Instructions:

1. Read the background, and answer all questions.

2. Answer in your own words. No essay answers are required. If you find yourself having to cut & paste a
particular answer, it is likely that your answer is either inappropriate or unacceptable. Use proper
citation and referencing if you must quote from others.
3. Determine the special interest place(s) and/or event(s) you should be covering before embarking on the
field visit(s). Consult your tutor if unsure.
4. This is a self-directed field visit (s), i.e. you are on your own. You can carry out the visit(s) with your
peers but the checklist must be an individual submission/effort.
5. This assignment must be type-written.
6. This checklist will require you to submit relevant photos with your face shown clearly. The description is
to explain the significance of each photo in relation to your findings.
7. When visiting places of interest and/or attending the event(s), please represent yourself and your school
well. Observe proper conduct and attire. If in doubt about photography, always ask the organisations
staff for permission before taking pictures.
8. The checklist is part of the Individual Assignment; you are to submit it together with the Individual
Assignment Outline. Please DO NOT use file or envelope to submit the checklist & draft. Simply staple
(both checklist and outline) together and hand it in.
9. The field visit checklist is due Wed, 11 Nov 2015 @ 5pm. Please submit it at the submission boxes
located outside the staff room located at Temasek Tourism Academy 29A-05-01. MCs are not accepted.

Penalty:
Marks of up to 5 points will be deducted for submission that is not tidy and/or poorly organised (e.g.
crumpled paper, answers are all over the place, etc.). All non-submissions after the deadline will result in a
zero.

By submitting this work, I am / we are declaring that I am / we are the originator(s) of this work and that all other original sources
used in this work has been appropriately acknowledged. I / We understand that plagiarism is the act of taking and using the whole or
any part of another persons work and presenting it as my/ our own without proper acknowledgement. I / We also understand that
plagiarism is an academic offence and that disciplinary action will be taken for plagiarism.

Submitted by: Lim Shi Xuan Admin number: 1406810J

Signature: Tutorial class: TB08

Awarded Penalty (if any) Total marks scored

Marks:
For official use only

/20 marks

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Contemporary Special Interest Tourism (BHT3012)
AY 2015/16 Semester October

1 Identify a suitable special interest tourism site (or event) in Singapore. State clearly the
2 marks
site or event name, full address or event organiser, date of tour or event, fee (if any).

Topic: Medical Tourism

Site Name: Mount Elizabeth Hospital and Medical Centre (Parkway Pantai Group)
Address: 3 Mount Elizabeth, Singapore 228510
Date of Tour: 25 October 2015

2 Evaluate the site (or event) and give TWO reasons why you will or will not consider it 8 marks
for the individual assignment.

Owned by the Parkway Pantai Group, Mount Elizabeth Hospital is a private hospital. I will consider it for my
individual assignment as there are more foreigners visiting this hospital compared to the public hospitals,
such as the Singapore General Hospital. With the majority of foreigners, whom are the target visitors
visiting Mount Elizabeth Hospital in Singapore, it will be an ideal research site on medical tourism in
Singapore.

Another reason why I would consider Mount Elizabeth is that it is the largest private hospital in Singapore,
compared to other private hospitals. They provide a wide range of medical specialities, according to the E-
Resource from the National Library Board. Also, they have many interesting facts, accomplishments and
achievements that makes the hospital unique. Those elements are not found in other private hospitals.
Therefore, it is relevant for my research on medical tourism. Together with the resources and data from the
internet, I am confident that this is the right hospital to work with.

3 Attach TWO relevant photos taken during this field visit. One of the photos should have 4 marks
you in it. Write a short and relevant description for each of these photos. Please
submit photos as appendix.

3A: Established in 1979, Mount Elizabeth Hospital and Medical Centre is one of the top private hospitals in
Singapore located conveniently in the heart of Orchard Road, a hot spot for tourist.

3B: Through observations in the lobby, I noticed that the percentage of foreigners seeking medical help is
greater compared to the locals. The foreigners are mainly from Indonesia, India and China.

4 Identify TWO motivations for the target visitors to visit the site or participate in event. 4 marks

There are multiple reasons why medical travellers visit Singapore and Mount Elizabeth Hospital for medical
tourism. The key motivators are cost, time, regulation, quality, medical preferences and availability.

From a wider perspective, what makes foreigners participate in medical tourism in Singapore are the
quality and medical availability. Medical travellers know that Singapore is well-known for its top medical
treatments in Asia as we have good medical technologies and equipments. Having experienced,
trustworthy and professional doctors, are a bonus. Also, communication between doctors and foreign
patients will not be an issue as there will not be any language barriers because our main language is
English. As well as, Singapore being well-known as a safe and secure country would motivate foreigners to
choose Singapore as a destination for medical tourism.

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Contemporary Special Interest Tourism (BHT3012)
AY 2015/16 Semester October

When looking at the inner perspective of why foreigners would be motivated to visit Mount Elizabeth
Hospital are the time and medical preferences. Mount Elizabeth Hospital is a private hospital, therefore, it
would require less waiting time to seek medical treatments as compared to the other public hospitals.
However, that is also provided that if money is not an issue for the particular medical tourist. Through
research, among the other private hospitals, Mount Elizabeth Hospital is also one of the top private
hospitals in Singapore. According to the E-Resource, they specialise in over 35 treatments and they offer
one of the worlds best cancer treatments for their patients.

5 Identify ONE issue that the special interest tourism site (or event) might have. 2 marks

The size and scale of Mount Elizabeth Hospital is small, as compared to the other public hospitals. Hence,
the hospital may be overcrowded at times, especially during peak hours, as they only have 505 beds, in
which might be an issue. It is also more costly as compared to public hospitals, which may affect price-
sensitive foreigners, who came to Singapore to seek medical treatment.

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Contemporary Special Interest Tourism (BHT3012)
AY 2015/16 Semester October

3A)

3B)

The End.