SINGAPORE: Three new tourist attractions will open in Singapore from later this year, the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) announced at an annual industry conference on Wednesday (Apr 7).
One of them is the Museum of Ice Cream, a United States-based attraction known for its Instagrammable rainbow sprinkle pool.
Advertisement
Advertisement
Set to open in Singapore later this year, this will be the Museum of Ice Cream’s first location outside of the US, said STB chief executive Keith Tan.
Museum of Ice Cream is set to open in Singapore later this year. (Photo: Museum of Ice Cream)
Also slated for opening later this year is Slingshot – touted to be Asia’s tallest – a new thrill ride concept at Clarke Quay.
Slingshot – touted to be Asia’s tallest – is slated for opening later this year at Clarke Quay. (Photo: Slingshotz)
Advertisement
Advertisement
The third addition will be Singapore’s first open-air panoramic attraction, announced Mr Tan. Called the SkyHelix Sentosa, visitors can expect a scenic view of Sentosa and the Southern Waterfront. This will open in 2022.
SkyHelix Sentosa, Singapore’s first open-air panoramic attraction, will open in 2022. (Photo: One Faber Group)
REFRESHING ORCHARD ROAD
Advertisement
Apart from new attractions and accommodation options, the STB will also continue to refresh existing tourism precincts, such as the country’s prime shopping belt Orchard Road, said Mr Tan.
Together with the Singapore Land Authority and Urban Redevelopment Authority, it will launch a tender for a new attraction concept at the vacant site between the Somerset Skatepark and Killiney Road later this year.
It is also working with the Orchard Road Business Association to scale up the annual Christmas light-up and shopping events later this year, while the transformation of the open-air Grange Road car park into an event space is expected to be completed next year.
“These projects are a welcome breath of fresh air amongst the COVID-19 negativity in the past year,” said Mr Tan, noting that they add on to existing initiatives to help the battered tourism sector get ready for recovery.
Touching on the topic of travel, Mr Tan said that international travel has to be resumed “carefully and safely”, with the safety of both locals and visitors being a priority.
Over the past year, Singapore has explored various approaches to do so, including setting up Connect@Changi, a short-stay facility for business travellers to meet without having to serve quarantine. It has also rolled out reciprocal green lanes with several countries, and resumed some high-profile sports and business events.
STB will continue to explore different channels and formats of events, especially in the lead-up to the World Economic Forum in August, said Mr Tan.
TRANSFORMATION
STB has also been facilitating transformation in the industry, both in terms of pivoting to the domestic market amid the pandemic and digitalisation, said Mr Tan.
Many new packages and experiences have been launched for the domestic market, said Mr Tan, noting that this “may well be one of the most fertile periods” in the Singapore tourism sector.
“Many of these new products will be relevant to our visitors so don’t lose the gains that you have made and make sure you keep expanding your repertoire so that there is much more to offer to international visitors when they do come back to Singapore.”
On digital transformation, STB will step up support by launching a new platform to test new solutions called Tourism Technology Transformation Cube (Tcube) and extending the Singapore Tourism Accelerator programme for another two years until September 2023.
To ensure the workforce is equipped with skills needed in a post-pandemic world, it will partner NTUC to develop a Tourism Sector Capability Development Roadmap this year.
EXTEND TARGETED SUPPORT
However, headwinds remain in the near term, which is why targeted support from the Government will continue.
Also speaking at the conference, Minister for Trade and Industry Chan Chun Sing announced that a S$68.5 million top-up will be made to the Tourism Development Fund.
Enhanced support levels will also be extended until end-March next year. This includes the Business Improvement Fund and the Training Industry Professionals in Tourism grant, which have helped businesses to upskill their workers, innovate and adapt.
“We remain committed to supporting our tourism sector, to help businesses and workers build new capabilities, and break new ground,” he said.
