NUS Trains Students to Manage Tourist Traffic and Restrict Peak-Hour Access

The National University of Singapore has come up with new strategies to deal with the surging tourist crowd on its campus, such as training 74 of its students to lead campus tours. The university has set aside almost 400 tour slots for visitors between January 13 and February 7, and the student ambassadors and docents will be in charge of leading the tours. This is part of NUS's continuous efforts to control the tourists' influx during peak travel seasons.

The university as part of its strategy requires that tourists pre-book guided tours to UTown and have to be escorted by student ambassadors or docents from January 13 to February 21. On January 13, 271 tourists were taken on UTown tours-the first day the student-led guided tours kicked in-a huge milestone in the campus visitor flow management during the peak season.

According to a circular by Daniel Goh, Associate Provost for Undergraduate Education, on January 13, groups that have pre-booked tours must provide bus licence plate details. This is done to ease the process of accessing visitors and minimize congestion, especially during peak hours. Speaking with Professor Goh, the university is still looking to address heavy tourist traffic in the campus which has been a challenge, intensified by increased visitors since the start of 2024. This is coming even as NUS seeks to create minimal disruption of its academic environment while it grapples to accommodate the increase in visitors.
The pre-booking system follows complaints from students who aired grievances over overcrowding in the campus canteens and on internal bus shuttles. It will therefore strive for a balance on the welcoming visitors while ensuring the students and staff experience a hassle-free and effective campus life. Due to this reason, visitor access was restricted during peak hours, while the university came up with Digital Campus Access Pass to regulate access of official guests and authorized vendors to UTown food courts as well as to the internal shuttle bus system when restricted hours.

UTown food courts will be restricted between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. on weekdays from January 13 to February 21. The internal shuttle bus will also be restricted between 8 a.m. and 2 p.m. In these periods, the university's student union has placed a team of student associates to work hand-in-hand with security officers. This team is responsible for making sure that visitors respect the guidelines of the university and helps in crowd management across food courts and shuttle buses.

The Digital Campus Access Pass ensures that official guests and authorized vendors get access to UTown foodcourts and shuttle buses during restricted hours. This pass is one of the several efforts devised to tackle the problems arising from the tourist season during the busiest months of January, February, and August. The pass ensures more regulated access while reducing crowding and allowing vital services to be available for those who are permitted to access the campus at these peak times.

Further measures include security personnel at bus stops, who ensure that only students, staff, and authorized visitors are allowed to board the shuttle buses. The university has also identified points for tour buses to pick up and drop off visitors to avoid traffic congestion in key areas of the campus. In addition to these measures, the frequency of internal shuttle buses has been increased, with access given to students and staff first during peak hours.

To address the concerns of students on overcrowding, the university has also set up a pop-up visitor centre to improve the management of visitor flow on campus. The student union called for a town hall meeting with the university management and undergraduates in August 2024 to discuss these concerns and potential solutions. In collaboration with the student union, NUS is developing more solutions in terms of its long-term visitor management strategy.
 
Under this new system, registration for slots of group tours is made compulsory to ensure these visitors are always accompanied by a student ambassador or docent. A student ambassador will conduct guided campus tours in a structured manner and be in charge of the operations of the visitor center. It is to provide visitors with an informative and warm experience. The registered student docents can conduct the tour based on the group's preferences. They may also cater to independent travelers or groups that do not have a licensed tour guide from the Singapore Tourism Board (STB).

Student ambassadors, who have been given a position through the NUS Student Work Scheme, lead groups for visitors who have hired licensed vendors through the STB. Registered student docents are allowed greater freedom in operation but within parameters established by the university. These docents are also responsible for keeping visitors in line with university rules throughout the tour.

The university has issued warnings that those who lead tours without proper licensing will be penalized. Unlicensed tour guides that operate in the NUS campus will be forwarded to authorities, and a rule has also been established by which students have been forbidden to lead tours on campus unless reserved first. NUS wants to sustain its campus environment by keeping everything proper for its students and its visitors.