Desmond Tan comes to Canberra with perhaps a lot more knowledge of the national capital than the average Singaporean heartthrob/movie and TV star.
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The 31-year-old studied planning at university and Canberra was a case study he examined closely. Had he not won a talent search competition in Singapore a decade ago, entering it on a whim, he might now be a city planner.
"I'm intrigued by how architecture can affect the human being," he said.
"Canberra is a beautiful place and there's certain kind of peacefulness in the city compared to Singapore, which is always buzzing."
The young actor is fronting a tour of Canberra and Sydney for a Singaporean travel show called My Star Guide, shown on the city-state's most popular network, Channel Eight.
"Probably the whole of Singapore" will be watching the end result, Tan reckoned.
The filming is also a chance for fans of Tan to pay to accompany him on the tour, the trip organised by the Chan Brothers Singapore tour company. The 91 tourists as interested in being in close proximity to Tan as seeing the sights of the national capital.
After touching down in Canberra on Friday morning, they were straight out to The Truffle Farm at Majura, followed by a visit to the Australian War Memorial, the group particularly interested in the Second World War Gallery and its details about the fall of Singapore.
Desmond, like all young men in Singapore, served two years' national service and was moved by his visit to the War Memorial.
"It reminds me how difficult it is to be a soldier," he said.
The group is also visiting and filming other parts of Canberra over the weekend including the Royal Australian Mint, Capital Region Farmers Market, Cockington Green Gardens and the National Zoo and Aquarium.
VisitCanberra confirmed it did make a financial contribution to the promotion of the packaged itineries.
"VisitCanberra has been running a campaign with Chan Brothers Singapore - a key travel agent in Singapore along with Destination NSW," a spokeswoman said.
"Desmond's visit was one aspect of this campaign but we can't comment on total investment due to the commercial nature of the arrangement.
"VisitCanberra is pleased with the result and level of attention Desmond's visit will provide to the Chan Brothers Singapore campaign and the packaged itineraries now sold through the extensive Chan Brothers network.
"The itinerary of Desmond's visit will continue to be promoted and sold in Singapore."
