NUS pays students to lead guided tours on campus amid tourist surge

As part of a pilot initiative to manage visitor traffic, the National University of Singapore (NUS) is paying 40 students to conduct guided tours and to educate tourists on visitor guidelines.

A wave of complaints on the influx of visitors on campus grounds emerged on Reddit in August following the start of the new academic year, with students griping on issues such as crowded shuttle buses and canteens packed with tourists.

Listings of paid guided tours around areas including University Town (UTown) and the NUS Central Library have also popped up on Chinese social media platform Xiaohongshu.

One listing promoting a campus tour, purportedly organised by students, charges about $50 per person. Another listing is charging about $310 for a group of six visitors.

In an internal email sent to students on Wednesday (Aug 14) and seen by AsiaOne, NUS said they are "closely monitoring the influx of tourists during the summer travel season of Asian countries" and implementing measures to manage visitor traffic and reduce disruptions to lessons and activities.

The pop-up visitor centre initiative, which will run from Aug 5 to Sept 30, involves 40 undergraduates who are trained as student ambassadors. They are remunerated under the university's Student Work Scheme, and on duty during working hours on weekdays at Stephen Riady Centre.

Ambassadors will lead tour groups around UTown via a "curated" route which manages movements, reduces congestion and minimises disruptions, said NUS. The tours can be booked by travel guides and agencies licensed by the Singapore Tourism Board.

Over the past two weeks, over 25 tour groups consisting of about 500 tourists have been guided around campus under the initiative, the university said.

In addition to conducting guided tours, the ambassadors are also tasked to "conduct forays to befriend smaller groups of tourists" or large groups led by independent guides to educate them on visitor guidelines and etiquette.

Measures to be evaluated

Other measures implemented by the university include increasing the frequency of internal shuttle buses and putting up signages reminding visitors to give priority to staff and students during peak hours.

Staff will also be deployed at UTown bus stops and food courts to ensure that priority is given to staff and students during peak hours.

Ground surveillance and security will also be stepped up to prevent trespassers from accessing off-limits areas.

NUS reiterated to students and staff in the email that they are not allowed to give visitors card access to restricted areas such as residence halls and classrooms.

The university said that the measures will be evaluated in the coming weeks. "You have our assurance that we will consider additional measures to manage the tourist traffic where necessary."

AsiaOne has reached out to NUS for more information.

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lim.kewei@asiaone.com