TTG Asia_88mm x 356mm.pdf 1 28/1/2019 5:41:20 PM
TTG ASIA MARCH 2019
DESTINATION: SINGAPORE 18
Destination
16 - 18 OCT 2019
Marina Bay Sands, Singapore
itb-asia.com
New developments
coming ashore
With sweeping changes afoot for Sentosa and its surrounds, expectations are
high that the new developments will step up the destination’s appeal to a
wider market segment and extend visitors’ length of stay. By Pamela Chow
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he island of Sentosa
will soon welcome a
host of developments
that are expected in-
crease the destination’s appeal to
a wider market segment, partic-
ularly families and visitors with
mid-tier budgets.
Sentosa Development Cor-
poration’s (SDC) assistant chief
executive and chief financial of-
ficer, Chin Sak Hin, told TTG
Asia that the nearby Pulau Brani
will also be “transformed” as part
of Sentosa’s rejuvenation blue-
print, which will see the former
retaining its idyllic charm while
new attractions and nature zones
are added.
As well, Sentosa will be jointly
developed as part of the Greater
Southern Waterfront precinct
which will bring a host of new
attractions, improved transport
connectivity, enhancements to
its beaches and more MICE fa-
cilities, added SDC’s chief mar-
keting officer Lynette Ang.
The SDC is now working
closely with other government
agencies to draw up develop-
ment plans for the whole area,
which will form part of the Sen-
tosa 2030 masterplan that it is
currently developing.
Said Chin: “We always say that
we are a world-class destination,
but this will bring us to another
level.”
Sentosa’s hardware over-
haul has already begun, with
reburbishment of the island’s
main north-south pedestrian
thoroughfare set to complete by
completed by 2021.
Next month will see Far East
Hospitality (FEH) opening the
Village Hotel at Sentosa, offer-
ing 606 rooms including family
rooms, as well as The Outpost
Hotel, a new adults-only brand
featuring 193 keys and a stylish
colonial island concept. Come
3Q2019, the old-school luxury-
styled Barracks Hotel will ac-
company its sibling properties
along Artillery Avenue, bringing
40 rooms within a conserved co-
lonial building.
The trio of FEH properties
will raise Sentosa’s total room
count to 4,200 and make Sentosa
more accessible to more tourists
with its mid-range prices.
Arthur Kiong, CEO of FEH,
said: “Sentosa is a driver of busi-
ness and is very popular, but it’s
interesting that 90 per cent of its
3,200 rooms are in the luxury
class. (Our new cluster) caters
to families, groups, MICE and
niche segments. Visitors may be
encouraged to extend their stay
in Singapore and Sentosa from
one to two days.”
He added that rooms will be
“egalitarian” and “priced effec-
tively”, as FEH works on “estab-
lishing key partnerships with at-
tractions on Sentosa”.
Inbound tourism players are
hopeful that the new proper-
ties will entice foreign visitors to
extend their stay in Sentosa and
Singapore.
Guy Allison, director of pro-
curement, Tour East Holdings,
remarked: “Sentosa’s becoming
quite a family destination. It’s
starting to attract people to stay
in Singapore for not just one or
two nights, but three or four –
maybe even a week. With the
new developments, it might even
become a destination in itself.”
He also expressed confidence
that despite Singapore being a
costlier destination compared
to its neighbours, the country
is “becoming more value-for-
money” and more affordable
than five years ago.
Meanwhile, to position the
island as a holistic destination,
SDC has been rolling out a year-
round calendar of diverse events
to attract visitors, said Chin.
These include family-friendly at-
tractions such as Sentosa Sand-
sation: Marvel Edition and Sen-
tosa GrillFest. The destination
recently launched a night light-
up event, Island Lights, featuring
the first Pikachu Night Parade
outside of Japan.
Chin added that SDC is mar-
keting these programmes ac-
cording to themes such as beach,
music, food, sports and festivals
to help visitors gain awareness of
the island’s suite of offerings.
The SDC has also teamed up
with Singapore Tourism Board
(STB) for a consumer co-brand-
ing campaign Epic Adventures
from the Island Beyond, which
is aligned with the Passion Made
Possible brand to markets such
as Indonesia, Thailand and the
Philippines.
Lynette Pang, assistant chief
executive, marketing group, STB,
described: “Through our mar-
keting promotions, we continue
to position Sentosa as an exciting
island destination, ideal for fami-
lies with young kids, with plenty
of activities and offerings avail-
able to visitors from the foodie,
explorer, action seeker and so-
cialiser passion tribes.”