Thread by @InsiderAsia

Singapore's @ChangiAirport was ranked the world's best airport for the eighth year in a row in 2020.

In the pandemic, it has tried to reinvent itself as a domestic tourist destination. See the photos from a recent visit showing it to be mostly empty insider.com/singapore-jewe…

As the world started to lock down in 2020, Singapore, like many other countries, closed its borders to tourists.

And in April and May, during its COVID-19 "circuit-breaker" lockdown, Changi Airport operated at 0.5% of its usual traffic. insider.com/singapore-jewe…

Today, the airport, famous for its massive indoor waterfall, Imax theater, and wide variety of shops and restaurants, is still closed to short-term visitors except for those from a handful of countries like Australia, Taiwan, and New Zealand.

https://twitter.com/thisisinsider/status/986393880638705672

When entering the airport at terminal three before the Lunar New Year, @katiedwarren said the airport was quiet and empty, which wasn't a surprise — but it was still disorienting. insider.com/singapore-jewe…

The airport’s mind-blowing HSBC Rain Vortex is the world's tallest indoor waterfall, standing at 131ft and cascading seven stories down from the domed ceiling at the heart of Jewel Terminal to the basement.

https://twitter.com/businessinsider/status/1160194086566944768

The area is usually surrounded by people snapping photos and admiring the waterfall. Now, Insider’s @katiedwarren could count the number of visitors on one hand. insider.com/singapore-jewe…

The waterfall is encircled by lush foliage called the Shiseido Forest Valley. The larger, nature-themed entertainment complex also offers:

🔴 Garden trails
🔴 Slides for children
🔴 "Sky nets."

@katiedwarren saw more employees around than visitors bit.ly/2NLXEY7

One attraction in the airport is the "Foggy Bowls," clearly designed for children’s entertainment.

If you stand in them, fog starts streaming out. A year into the pandemic, however, they were empty. insider.com/singapore-jewe…

Shops and restaurants were a similar story of emptiness, with many employees looking bored and staring at their phones.

Pre-pandemic, they said they were busy on weekends and evenings. But now, some are lucky if even a couple customers come in each day. bit.ly/3k9f7pH

Things may be starting to look up slightly for Singapore's tourism industry as vaccines begin to roll out. But Changi Airport and the rest of the city-state won't be getting back to normal anytime soon. insider.com/singapore-jewe…

🇸🇬 See more of @katiedwarren's photos of @ChangiAirport below. And for more stories from Insider’s Asia bureau, based out of Singapore, follow @InsiderAsia.

insider.com/singapore-jewe…