Genting International-Star Cruises consortium will build the Sentosa integrated resort that is expected to be ready in 2010.
Its S$5.2 billion Resorts World At Sentosa will leverage on international brand names like Universal Studios, which will design 16 new rides specially for the resort.

The Resorts World at Sentosa design is a collection of resorts within a resort so visitors can have a multi-resort experience.

The anchor family leisure attractions include The Universal Studios Singapore Theme Park, The Quest Marine Life Park, The Equarius Water Park, The Maritime Xperiential Museum, and other entertainment offerings located along FestiveWalk.

Universal Studios will have its largest theme park in Asia at Resorts World at Sentosa offering 22 attractions within seven themed worlds, of which 16 will be specially designed for Singapore.
It will be developed at the east side of the IR site, using the theme “Ride the movies” and the attractions will be comparable to those found in Universal Studios Orlando and Islands of Adventure.

There will be seven themed worlds within Universal Studios Singapore namely: Waterworld, Lost World, Egypt, Super Hero City, Back Lot-The Big Apple, Hollywood Boulevard and Cartoon Studios.

Key highlights include the all-new “Journey to Madagascar” attraction and the Dreamworks Digital Animation Studios which will showcase the cutting edge of movie-making and real-time animation.

Resorts World at Sentosa will also offer other family entertainment experiences such as Quest Marine Life Park an oceanarium spanning 8 hectares with the largest single marine tank in the world, a 6.5 million gallon Whale Shark Lagoon, and interactive dolphin habitat, operated by the world-renowned Dolphin Quest.

Other attractions include the 1.3 hectares Equarius Water Park which is a water theme park custom-designed to integrate with the hillside terrain of Sentosa and a Maritime Xperiential Museum set at the waterfront.

This is expected to be the world’s first maritime silk route museum, dedicated to the subject of the maritime silk route between East Asia and the Middle East and will house the world’s first historical research centre dedicated to the subject. There will also be exhibits such as a full-scale glass replica of an ancient trading ship, a 360-degrees multimedia motion shipwreck theatre as well as live performances by acrobats on-board the ‘Bao Chuan” (Zheng He boat).

There will also be entertainment along the retail, dining and entertainment precinct of FestiveWalk, three public amphitheatres: The ShowPlace, an open-air 2,150 seat public amphitheatre; The Bull Ring, a 6,300 seating capacity amphitheatre; and Imagineering, a 1,714 seating capacity theatre which provides a magical dreamlike show with water, light and visual effects.

Visitors will also be able to catch the Crane Ballet, a showcase of multi-media moving art with choreographed animatronic crane dances nightly at the Festivewalk, with colourful streams of light, water and fire, all in sync with music and enhanced with video images on giant LCD screens.

Resorts World at Sentosa will also feature a resident show – ‘Le Vie’ (Life)which is put together by members from the same creative team behind the Cirque du Soleil blockbusters such as ‘KA’ and ‘O’ in Las Vegas.

There will be a total of six hotels offering 1,830 rooms including a first-in-the-world hotel - Hotel Michael - designed by award-winning architect, Michael Graves.
In addition, there is the ESPA Spa centre, offering programmes for wellness and self-improvement as well as 42 private ESPA Villas.

Visitors will also be able to be entertained at signature gourmet restaurants with Masterchefs such as Alain Fabregues, Alan Wong, Scott Webster, Marlon Abele-MARC Group, Gary Kunz, Harlan Goldstein, Susur Lee, Luke Mangan and Don Pintabona.

STB said the overall composition of buildings, form and massing responds well to the existing fabric of Sentosa.

The architecture is human scale with a village-like festive ambience. The site is well laid out, providing visitors with a clear visual orientation to key attractions and facilities.

What made the Resort devlopment attractive was the responsiveness to the tropical climate with extensive use of water, landscaping and materials such as stone and wood.

Most of the major attractions are designed with canopies, covered walkways and landscaped features to enhance visitors' experience in all-weather condition and there's been attractive night lighting to highlight the architectural features of the individual buildings and character of different zones.

There will be meeting facilities to host approximately 12,000 delegates in 3 key venues, namely; 1,600 theatre-style seating Le Vie Showroom / Plenary Hall , a 7,300 theatre-style seating Ballroom and 22 Meeting Rooms capable of hosting more than 3000 people.

In addition, there are seven indoor venues as well as 10 outdoor incentive venues.

There will also be flagship concept retail stores including new retail brands not currently in Singapore such as Bershka, Stradavarius, Cortefiel, Promod, as well as The Universal Store and Hamleys toy store.


The resort is expected to attract 10 million visitors and generate S$15 billion in tourism receipts by 2015.

now there's more reason to step into Sentosa beside going there to sun-tan for me after the IR is completed

Take construction updates?

Attracting 10 million by 2015 from its completion in 2010 seems too low if you look at the statistics announced by STB for comparison. An average of 2 million visitors a year is only 1/5 of targeted visitor arrivals for 2008. hmmm...

See the article posted on 6 Feb 2008 below:

The Singapore Tourism Board (STB) announced its 2008 targets at its annual Tourism Industry Night, setting an ambitious goal of nearly US$11 billion in tourism receipts and 10.8 million visitor arrivals for this year.

Singapore’s tourism sector has developed significantly in the past few years. Since 2004, visitor arrivals have increased by 25% to 10.3 million, while tourism receipts have grown by 45% to $9.7 billion in 2007.

To achieve its 2008 targets, Singapore has set its sights on an ambitious integrated tourism plan, which includes a packed calendar of high-profile events set to take place throughout the year that promises to attract an increasing number of Middle East travellers.

2008 has already started off on a strong note with the opening of Changi Airport Terminal 3, as well as several major inaugural events such as the Singapore Airshow, the opening of the Singapore Flyer – Asia’s first-ever giant observation wheel – and the upcoming 2008 FORMULA 1™ Singtel Singapore Grand Prix.

“STB is building on the momentum of its great success in 2007 to drive even more impressive tourism results for 2008. Given Singapore’s strong line-up of events and activities this year, we are very confident that we will be able to raise the bar and reach these aggressive new goals,” said Jason Ong, Area Director, Middle East and Africa, Singapore Tourism Board.

For the coming year, Singapore also plans to leverage on several key tourism opportunities, particularly in the cruise, hotel, and MICE industries.

International cruise companies are strengthening their presence in the region and have been identified as a new growth opportunity for Singapore’s tourism sector, with an expected 1.5 million cruise passenger throughput for Asia expected by 2010. As such, more international cruise companies are strengthening their presence in the region, using Singapore as a homeport for their ships as they cruise within Asia.

A new International Cruise Terminal at Marina South will be developed by 2010, to ensure that Singapore has the right facilities to attract the new generation of larger cruise ships and that Singapore can successfully capitalise on the global and Asian market growth by becoming a major cruise hub.

Given the rising demand for hotel rooms, the hotel sector is another key area for growth. In recent years, there has been heightened interest among hotel developers to invest in Singapore, and 12,000 more hotel rooms are expected within the next three to four years as new hotels open.

On the MICE front, major players including Kellen Company, Leipziger Messe GmbH, and Kenes International have chosen to set up base in Singapore, boosting Singapore’s position as a major venue for MICE events and reflecting the positive sentiments of the robust MICE market in Singapore and the region.

The presence of these companies will create greater opportunities for local industry players to acquire new capabilities, diversify the channels to reach the international market and raise the professionalism of Singapore’s MICE industry.

contribute to Singapore economy by staying in spore instead of going overseas

not to this extreme lah. Good to go overseas to know about another country's culture, food and lifestyle.

btw, actual visitor arrival to Singapore in 2007 is 10.2 million.

Whereas the resort is said to attract 10 million visitors by 2015 (over 5 years).

hmm... their projection is rather low. Number of Sentosa Visitors is already 5.3 million in 2006.

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Speech By Minister Lim Hng Kiang At The Resorts World At Sentosa Groundbreaking Ceremony (16 Apr 2007)

Speech by Mr Lim Hng Kiang, Minister for Trade and Industry, at The Resorts World at Sentosa groundbreaking ceremony, Monday 16 April 2007 at 10.35 am


Tan Sri Lim Kok Thay, Chairman, Genting International

Mr Tan Hee Teck, Chief Executive Officer, Resorts World at Sentosa

Distinguished guests,

Ladies and gentlemen,

Good morning.

I am pleased to join you this morning at the groundbreaking ceremony for Resorts World at Sentosa (RWS). Today’s official commencement of the construction works marks a significant milestone in the development of the Integrated Resort at Sentosa.  

IMPACT OF THE TWO IRs IN 2010

Our tourism sector is currently enjoying a period of strong growth. Over the next few years, it is set to become even more vibrant and exciting when major tourism developments, such as the Singapore Flyer and Gardens by the Bay are completed.  Together with the two IRs, these will help us achieve our target to attract 17 million visitors and generate S$30 billion in tourism receipts by the year 2015.

In the year 2010, when both the Marina Bay Sands and Resorts World at Sentosa are operational, we expect a surge in the number of visitors to Singapore. STB has projected that there will be an additional 2 million to 3 million visitors, bringing our total annual visitor arrivals to about 13 to 14 million.  Going by the current growth rate, this will represent a significant 25 per cent increase over the 11 million visitor arrivals projected for the year 2009.  Combined with the expected increase in the length of stay from 3.4 days in 2006 to 3.6 days in 2010, this means that the number of visitors per day will increase significantly by 55 per cent - from about 90,000 in 2006, to nearly 140,000 in 2010.

NEW BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES ARE CREATED

This is definitely good news for the tourism sector and the economy as a whole.  In particular, the tourism sector can expect a sharp rise in demand for their facilities and services, from attractions to hospitality services such as hotels, F&B outlets or even coach services. This presents significant opportunities for us. We should start planning now. In fact, this is the challenge for businesses and industry stakeholders - to put in place plans to ensure that they are ready to leverage on and exploit these new business opportunities. 


I will now touch on some of these key areas.

More hotel rooms are needed

First, we will need more hotel rooms to cater to the increase in visitor arrivals. Five sites were put up for tender under the Government Land Sales programme last year, and all of them met with very strong response from investors. Together, these five sites will add over 1,800 new hotel rooms to our inventory.

There are 13 sites available in the first half of this year under the Government Land Sales programme for hotel development.  Currently, the tenders for two new sites at Beach Road and Tanjong Pagar are ongoing.  If all these sites are sold, we are looking at potentially adding another 5,000 hotel rooms. However, based on our projections, more has to be done and this is why STB is also exploring interesting accommodation concepts such as the adaptive re-use of unoccupied state buildings for conversion to smaller hotels to cater to the diverse needs of our visitors.

Increasing Air-capacity

In terms of air capacity, the opening of Terminal 3 at Changi Airport next year will boost our annual passenger handling capacity to 64 million, almost double the record 35 million passengers handled by the airport last year. Concurrently, STB is working with the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore and major airlines to explore ways to increase air capacity so as to cater to the expected increase in visitors. Apart from increasing the number of weekly flights to and from existing destinations, other areas that STB is exploring include expanding the current list of 180 destinations so as to reach out to a wider market.

Dealing with the manpower demand

In terms of manpower, the two IRs combined are expected to create some 50,000 to 60,000 additional jobs throughout the economy when both are fully operational. It is projected that there will be a spike in recruitment by the two operators in 2009, particularly in the months leading up to their official openings.
 

To enhance the attractiveness of a career in the service sector, STB will be working closely with the industry to encourage the adoption of exemplary HR and workplace practices.  STB will also be launching a three-year campaign this year to highlight the rewarding career options available in the hospitality sector.


To meet the manpower demand and to improve the quality of the tourism workforce, STB will continue to work with the relevant agencies such as the Ministry of Education (MOE), post-secondary education institutions, and the Workforce Development Agency (WDA).  In particular, to attract the mature workers to join these industries, STB is working with lead agencies such as NTUC and industry associations in the Job Re-creation Programme (JRP). I am heartened that Genting International intends to hire mature and Yellow Ribbon workers and I applaud its efforts to be an inclusive employer of choice.

 
IMPORTANCE OF RESORTS WORLD AT SENTOSA

Let me now highlight what we can look forward to when the Resorts World at Sentosa opens in 2010. When completed, Resorts World at Sentosa will be a world-class themed destination offering the largest Universal Studios in Asia, a marine life park, water theme park and maritime museum. In addition, visitors can also enjoy a myriad of retail and entertainment options as well as six hotels offering over 1,800 rooms.

Resorts World at Sentosa will significantly strengthen Singapore’s attractiveness as a leisure destination of choice for families. In particular, it will strengthen Sentosa’s island resort offerings and contribute to the buzz of activities and attractions at the Southern Waterfront precinct.
 

Over the next few weeks, I understand that Resorts World at Sentosa expects to award tenders worth S$508 million for construction and development services such as road diversion, reclamation works and site formation.  These contracts will provide opportunities for our local SMEs and bring about significant job creation in the construction industry.


CONCLUSION

The tourism sector has performed very well in recent years. With the two IRs coming onstream in the next few years, as well as other major tourism projects, the positive outlook of the industry looks set to continue.

I extend my heartiest congratulations to Genting International on this special occasion and I look forward to the opening of Resorts World at Sentosa.


Thank you.

$1b contract for Sentosa IR awarded

23 Apr 08

RESORTS World At Sentosa on Wednesday awarded its biggest construction contract to date - a $1.05 billion deal to build three hotels.

The contract went to Kajima-Tiong Seng joint venture. The Japanese and local tie-up will build RWS' Hotel Michael, Maxims Residences and Festive Hotel, as well as the casino and the theatre.

This brings the total amount of contracts given out to $2 billion for the construction of the $6 billion integrated resort on Sentosa.

Mr Michael Chin, RWS' executive vice-president of projects said: 'This contract covers some of the key components of the development, and we were looking for a contractor with the relevant experience and reputation for completing projects on time. Kajima and Tiong Seng's track record, ranging from the Marina Bay Financial Centre (Phase I) to the St. Regis Singapore, speaks for itself.'

Giving a further update on the construction, Mr Chin said that the buildings can be seen rising from the ground within the next few months.

The foundation work for the roller coaster ride in its Universal Studios theme park will start in June or July.

The resort is on track to be completed for its soft opening in 2010.

Resorts World at Sentosa drops shark's fin from menus
By Hiroshi Limmell, Channel NewsAsia | Posted: 29 May 2008 1920 hrs

think they want to create a rapport with the major public, given their environmental friendly efforts?