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The Business Times, 16 Apr 04

Insider's view of Singapore tourism
By Uma Shankari

WELL-KNOWN tourism figure Pamelia Lee is retiring as STB Consultancy's senior director after 13 years.

She will still play a key role in the industry, however, by working with Sentosa Development Corp to develop the Southern Islands.

In addition, she will continue to be involved in the Singapore Tourism Board's efforts to set up an exhibition centre at Haw Par Villa to show how the Chinese diaspora have made their home outside China.

Having served the board in various positions for 26 years, Mrs Lee is well qualified to discuss Singapore's tourism industry, and she explores her long love affair with it in her new book, Singapore, Tourism & Me. It takes readers from her country of birth, Hawaii, to her transplant to Singapore after marriage and her passionate involvement with Singapore's tourism marketing and development.

Mrs Lee describes her book as 'thought-provoking but not so heavy'. She sees tourism continuing to play an important role in Singapore's economy. But she warns that emerging markets China and India could overwhelm other tourist spots. As such, the key issue in future will be management.

Mrs Lee believes Singapore's strength still lies in its 'Singapore story'. 'There will always be people who love a comfortable place. And if we couple this with medical facilities and education, then we'll always have a place in the world,' she said.

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