Joo Chiat resident irked by noisy tourists and rude coach drivers, but business owner welcomes visitors
Another Joo Chiat resident is unhappy about the busloads of tourists at Koon Seng Road.
The street has become a popular attraction because of the iconic row of colourful Peranakan shophouses.
Stomper Diane shared videos of the crowded walkways and "very rude" coach drivers unloading or loading their passengers.
She said: "Disappointed residents are very disturbed by the noise and rudeness, including trespassing. They need signs to keep these tourists away."
Stomp earlier reported that another resident had complained of "overtourism".
However, an owner of two businesses in the area shared a more positive view of the tourists.
She told Stomp: "We are genuinely happy to welcome visitors from all around the world — and that includes Singaporeans.
"Joo Chiat isn't 'just another popular place'. It's Singapore's first Heritage Town, and it carries a living story that can't be replaced once it's lost.
"This is, first and foremost, a Peranakan enclave — where one can experience and learn about a culture that's uniquely Southeast Asian, and one we must embrace as ours, preserve, and proudly share, because it runs deep in the fabric of what made Singapore what it is today."
She said when visitors come, they don't only take photos.
"They keep our heritage alive in very real ways: They support the families behind small eateries, the bakers who wake before sunrise, the guides and artisans, and the shop owners working hard to hold on in Singapore's high commercial rental scene," added the small business owner, who declined to be named.
"And yes, more people can mean more waiting and vehicles during busy moments. But anything worth seeing is worth the effort to preserve and a little inconvenience overall."
She also pointed out there are very few residents in the tourist spots as these are officially commercial streets.
But those few residents still matter. Those colourful Peranakan shophouses that visitors love taking pictures of are residences, not businesses.
Katong-Joo Chiat Business Association chairman Edmond Wong said that there cannot be a healthy business environment without happy residents.
He explained: "We have a very delicate mix of commercial and residential zones here. If our residents are unhappy, the dynamics of our neighbourhood could change, and then nobody wins."
Mr Wong called the area an "absolute gem", which people naturally gravitate towards.
"We love that it is a destination for locals to rediscover their own heritage just as much as it is for tourists," he told Stomp.
"This is something we never want to lose.
"But we must be honest about the pressure points, like what we have seen happening along Koon Seng Road. My view is that the association needs to establish a bridge between our community's needs and the travel industry.
"To really address concerns regarding overcrowding, we may require maintaining a much closer partnership with stakeholders such as the Singapore Tourism Board, too."
Mr Wong added that the association needs to move beyond just marketing and start managing the precinct.
"This means sitting down with travel agencies to coordinate bus timings, if required, so that we do not have multiple coaches showing up at one place at a given time," he said.
"We will also need to educate tour guides to ensure that their groups respect the privacy of the people living here. We need to show our visitors the wider precinct and not just one or two famous streets, so that we can spread the footfall out and give everyone some breathing room."
He emphasised: "We are committed to making sure that the success of our merchants does not come at the cost of our neighbours' peace and quiet."
