Debated in Parliament on 9 May 2016.
Ms Joan Pereira asked the Minister for Culture, Community and Youth whether the Ministry will consider encouraging major tourist attractions to charge special rates for multi-generational Singaporean visitors to promote intergenerational bonding.
Madam, currently, many places of interest in Singapore already offer special entry prices for seniors who are above 60 years of age and children below the age of 12. This encourages multi-generational outings. Examples of attractions that offer such tiered pricing include the Singapore Zoo and Singapore Science Centre. Some attractions, such as the Art Science Museum, have special promotions for those who visit as a family. We will encourage attractions to continue to develop ways to promote intergenerational bonding among Singaporean families.
For places of interest and facilities under the the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth (MCCY) family, we encourage multigenerational visitors through family-oriented programming. The museums run by the National Heritage Board (NHB), including the National Museum of Singapore (NMS) and Asian Civilisations Museum (ACM) already offer free entry to Singaporeans for the permanent galleries. Their exhibitions particularly lend themselves to intergenerational bonding. The National Heritage Board also organises the annual Singapore Heritage Festival and Singapore Night Festival which have family-friendly activities, such as performances and guided tours.
In the heartlands, ActiveSG members who are below the age of 18 and those 55 years and above enjoy special rates for entry to ActiveSG gyms and swimming complexes. Concessionary rates are also granted to senior citizens and their accompanying immediate family members using selected public sports facilities during specified hours on weekdays.
There are many other platforms to encourage intergenerational family bonding. These include a wide range of regular community events and free-access public spaces such as the Marina Barrage and popular parks such as Singapore Botanic Gardens and East Coast Park. The Families for Life Council also organises regular picnics at these and other heartland parks to encourage intergenerational family bonding.
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