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The
Straits Times, 15 Jul 04
A $595m proposal, believe it or not
By Glenys Sim
Ripley's keen to start major entertainment attraction in Singapore
BELIEVE it or not, Ripley's Entertainment, which made that line famous
in its TV shows and other media, may invest US$350 million (about
S$595 million) in a tourist attraction here.
Company president Robert Masterson said that if it comes about, it
will be Ripley's biggest, spread over more than 10ha. Advertisement
He said the company has identified a site and a partner, but gave
no details of the project it had 'worked on for 1 1/2 years'. 'We've
done our feasibility studies and are very confident,' he said, adding
that if it does go ahead, an announcement would be made by the end
of September. Ripley's operates such attractions as museums and aquariums,
and is in TV and publishing, he said, emphasising that it is not in
the theme park business.
This announcement comes on the heels of news of the next big thing
for Sentosa - a new theme park costing between $300 million and $700
million. Sentosa Leisure Group chief executive officer Darrell Metzger
said it is negotiating with two companies.
The planned 20ha site in the north of the island, behind the ferry
terminal, is part of a 10-year masterplan to draw eight million visitors
a year to Sentosa by 2012. Only one possible partner has been identified
so far. Village Roadshow, which runs Movie World, Sea World and Wet
'n' Wild Water World in Australia's Gold Coast, is proposing a water-based
theme park and may put in up to A$40 million (about S$50 million)
and 'build on its strengths'. Its chief executive officer, Mr John
Menzies, said: 'It will have a combination of attractions suitable
for the entire family. Kids love thrill rides, water rides are good
for this weather, older people like simulators. The idea is to be
able to get them to stay five to six hours in the park.' Ideally,
it will have both Asian and Western themes but not the adrenalin overload
thrill rides that dominate theme parks in the West. Asians like rides
that instill 'fear and not terror', unlike Westerners who prefer 'super-fast,
scare-me-to-death' rides, said industry experts at the International
Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions Asian Expo.
Sentosa once had a $54 million water theme park, Fantasy Island. It
opened in 1994 and closed in 2001 because of safety issues, after
one drowning and several other accidents. Mr Menzies told The Straits
Times that if all goes well, an announcement may be expected in
two or three months' time.
The four-day conference and exhibition at the Suntec Convention Centre,
which started on Tuesday, was officially opened by Minister of State
(Trade and Industry, National Development) Vivian Balakrishnan yesterday.
He spoke of Singapore's plans to tap the growing tourism potential
of Asia, whose visitor arrivals, already 121 million in 2001, will
grow by more than 6 per cent a year to reach 416 million in 2020,
according to the World Tourism Organisation.
Asia is home to five of the world's top 10 most visited parks, with
Tokyo Disneyland at the top, and draws 42 per cent of overall attendance
at the top 50 parks. A Fisherman's Wharf is due to open in Macau in
February and Hong Kong's Disneyland, by the end of next year.
Dr Balakrishnan used the opportunity to tell the audience about how
the Singapore Tourism Board has been attracting more tourism investments,
upgrading existing attractions and widening the range of tourism products.
They include the Singapore Flyer, Jurong BirdPark's new Lory Loft,
the Night Safari's new amphitheatre, and on Sentosa, the 110m Carlsberg
Sky Tower, a new People Mover System and resorts.
Singapore is also studying the development of an integrated entertainment
centre, which may have a casino, hotels, convention facilities, theme
attractions, retail outlets and restaurants, he said. |
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