For Sentosa, Singapore’s island resort getaway, India is among its top two markets. In 2013, Sentosa received around 900,000 Indian visitors, which clearly indicates the popularity of the attraction among Indians. “Nine out of every 10 Indians visiting Singapore come to Sentosa, making India our largest source market. 2013 was an eventful year for us. Overall we witnessed a growth of 20-25 per cent in terms of visitors to the park,” shared Steven Chung, Director – Marketing, Sentosa Leisure Group.
He further opined that the island resort is expecting to attract one million Indians in 2014. “Judging by our previous numbers, we expect a lot more than 1 million on site. We are further developing the island and are launching new attractions which will help us gain repeat visitors as well. In the near future, we plan to increase the number of hotel rooms, which currently stands at 2500.”
Expanding its product portfolio, Sentosa Leisure Group plans to launch new attractions such as Kidzania, and a unique show called the ‘Wings of Time’ in June 2014. The island resort is also set to rebrand and revamp the Sentosa Merlion. Elaborating further, Chung informed that the island is set to get its very own Madame Tussauds in November 2014. “This museum will be tailored to reflect the culture and excitement of Singapore and Southeast Asia . It will be the only Madame Tussauds outside of the flagship attraction in London to incorporate a ride into the experience,” he said.
Shedding more light on the uniqueness of the Madame Tussauds in Singapore, Meike Schulze, Divisional Director- Attractions in Asia, Merlin Entertainment, who will be operating the attraction within Sentosa, said, “We see Sentosa as one of the leading attraction destinations in Southeast Asia. Singapore is the ideal location for a Madame Tussauds, and we are confident that we will add a new element to the country’s successful entertainment offering. We look forward to working together with Sentosa to introduce other exciting, new concepts in the future.”
Speaking about their marketing strategy in India, Chung revealed, “We work very closely with the Singapore Tourism Board, as well as the travel trade here in India. We are pleased with the work and effort that our Indian partners have put into selling Sentosa. Moving forward, we will continue educating the trade and updating our consumers about the new attraction through various B2C platforms.”
