SINGAPORE — In this proposed theme park, youths not only experience what it is like to live in, say, “a spaceship hotel” or munch on an astronaut ice-cream, but they could also dress up as a crew member of a spacecraft.

This tourist attraction, which focuses on the cosplay theme, also consists of three other “colonies” — army, medieval and pirate — where guests can try their hand at bringing characters they are playing to life.

This was the idea four students from Zhonghua Secondary School mooted, as they were chosen yesterday as winners of this year’s Tourism Innovation Competition organised by the Temasek Polytechnic School of Business.

Into its fourth year, the competition is aimed at giving students a chance to learn more about the tourism industry. This year’s competition attracted proposals from students in 24 secondary schools and ITE College West.

Supported by the Singapore Tourism Board, this year’s theme looks at the youth tourism market, and how Singapore could be made into a major youth tourism destination. Students were then tasked to develop and propose solutions that could be implemented here within the next three years.

In 2010, the United Nations World Tourism Organisation estimates that approximately 20 per cent of the 940 million international tourists travelling were youths.

By 2020, it estimates there will be close to 300 million international youth trips made each year. The youth travel market is worth US$136 billion (S$171.3 billion) a year, according to some estimates.

Temasek Polytechnic School of Business Director Daniel Yeow noted that the youth tourism market comprises “discerning and perceptive individuals” who travel because they want to interact with and learn about other cultures.

“In other words, they are looking for ‘authentic’ experiences that are not out of the ‘cookie-cutter’ attractions box,” he said, adding that these travellers tend to stay longer and spend more — an average of US$1,550 — at the destinations.

Students from Presbyterian High School, who finished runners-up in the competition, proposed tours which focus on photography, arts, history and sports.

For instance, visitors on the photography tour can experience using different cameras during the tour. They will also be taken to various tourists destinations, such as Gardens by the Bay, to take photos. AMANDA LEE