Singapore Integrated Resort rivals, north and south

Tan Hui Leng, Today Online 17 Apr 08;

A YEAR before Singapore's first Integrated Resort (IR) at Marina Bay is due to open, potential competition is already brewing to the immediate north and south.

In Malaysia, the government yesterday confirmed it is in talks with not just Walt Disney, but also other theme park operators. The discussions are "preliminary", said spokesman for Malaysia's sovereign wealth fund, Khazanah Nasional, Mr Mohd Asuki Abas. Some 890 hectares have been set aside for theme park use.

The park in Johor would compete with Universal Studios at Resorts World at Sentosa. Buzz of a theme park began as far back as 2005 when Malaysia toyed with the idea of wooing Mickey Mouse.

In the south, Malaysia's Landmarks is hoping to set up Indonesia's first legalised casino on Bintan island — details of which were revealed by chief operating officer Lim Boon Soon in a Bloomberg report yesterday. The US$3.1-billion ($4.2-billion) resort aims to compete with the one at Marina Bay here.

With Singapore planning to double the number of overseas visitors to 17 million annually and triple tourism receipts to $30 billion by 2015, Landmarks aims to capture the spill over.

"It could work, though the execution risks are there," said Mr Keith Wee, an analyst at OSK Research. With casinos in Malaysia as well as Singapore, "competition will be tough".

How much of a threat will both developments pose to Singapore?

Industry players Today spoke to said issues of accessibility stand in the way of the upstarts. While Johor has an airport, those in Singapore wanting to cross over may face traffic jams on the Causeway; Bintan has no airport yet and the ferry ride from Singapore takes 55 minutes.

And travellers will likely drop by Singapore before visiting the other two. "It's very unlikely that they will give Singapore a skip as we are a hub and they have to come through," noted Mr Robert Khoo, chief executive officer of National Association of Travel Agents Singapore.

For tourists looking for a complete getaway, Landmarks' Bintan resort will bank on the island's current tourist offerings. The developer will also offer private luxury villas with berthing facilities, condominiums and health spas. Said Mr Lim: "Five years down the road, having a casino won't be special."

Indeed, Resorts World at Sentosa — slated to open in 2010 — features wholesome family treats like Universal Studios' theme park, a maritime museum and a luxury spa.

Such distinguishing features mean that the two resorts are complementary, said an in-bound tour operator.

Tour East's group vice-president for sales and marketing, Ms Judy Lum, said Bintan can be marketed as an adult getaway and Sentosa a family destination.

As for the IR downtown, Marina Bay Sands told Today it will be a "world-class destination not available anywhere else in the region".

A Disneyland across the Causeway could rival Universal Studios as it "would have the domestic mass to support it and it would probably attract Middle Eastern tourists", said Ms Lum.

"But it needs to be well-managed and well-maintained consistently," she qualified, noting that many theme parks there are not.

Concerns about competition may well prove moot. In 2006, when the Malaysian authorities said they had discussed the project with Disney, the American company denied it.

In Indonesia, Landmarks has yet to finalise the terms and conditions of the gaming business with the authorities.

Regional tourism projects can complement offerings in Singapore
Channel NewsAsia 20 Apr 08;

SINGAPORE: Tourism developments in the neighbouring regions need not be seen as competition for Singapore, said Senior Minister of State for Trade and Industry S Iswaran on Sunday.

He was referring to plans for Iskandar Malaysia in Johor and an upcoming integrated resort on Indonesia's Bintan island.

Mr Iswaran added that what Singapore needs to do is to ensure that it remains a compelling destination for visitors.

"Yes, there may be some competitive component, but at the same time, they're complementary because they enhance the offerings in the region and we wish them luck," he said.

Mr Iswaran was speaking on the sidelines of an Indian community event – Narpani Family Day – which saw the creation of Singapore's largest laddu, a popular Indian snack that is usually the size of a golf ball.

Ladies from PA Narpani Pearavai Ladies' Sub-Committee managed to win an entry in the Singapore Book of Records with their 16.9kg laddu.

In another record-making attempt at the same event, over 500 people joined in an Indian mass aerobic workout called the Aarokkia Aattam.

The event was organised by the People's Association and is part of the three-week long Tamil Language Festival which ends on 27 April.

Organisers hope the festivities will give other racial communities a better understanding of local Indian culture.- CNA/so

Mickey offers competition and benefits
Alicia Wong Today Online 21 Apr 08;

MICKEY Mouse will not be taken lightly if he goes to Johor.

But the possible arrival of Disneyland or another theme park at Singapore's doorstep — which would rival the Universal Studios park in Sentosa — could be beneficial too, said Senior Minister of State for Trade and Industry S Iswaran (picture).

"There may be some competitive elements to those developments but at the same time, they are complementary because they enhance the offerings in the region, and we wish them well," he said in reply to reporters' queries.

Media reports last week highlighted the scramble for the tourism pie both north and south of the Republic, with Malaysia in talks with theme park operators and a developer hoping to build an integrated resort (IR) and Indonesia's first legalised casino on Bintan island.

While Indonesia may or may not change its laws, the Riau island already has Bintan International Resorts, and Mr Iswaran, who was speaking at community event, cited this as an example of a complementary attraction.

The Republic will "need to just track" the developments in the region and more importantly, "what we need to ensure is that Singapore continues to be a compelling and competitive attraction for tourists".

Would that include bringing Mickey Mouse to Singapore, given that the operator of Tokyo Disneyland said last week it was considering opening a new facility in South-east Asia?

Mr Iswaran was non-committal. "We're open to more ideas from different potential investors or proponents on how we can add to our tourism offerings which will complement what we already have," he said.

As part of Singapore's tourism target for 2015 — 17 million overseas visitors and $30 billion in tourism receipts — there are already "a number of initiatives in Singapore", he added, and listed the IRs, Universal Studios and the plans to "significantly enhance Mandai as a nature-based theme attraction".

If the possibility for a second theme park in Singapore arises, he said "we can always find ways to accommodate the appropriate investment venture".