Wednesday, November 29, 2006
[RealEdge] BT : Southern Islands could be premium resort: STB
| Published November 29, 2006  | ||||||||||
| Southern Islands could be premium resort: STB Super-exclusive haven for billionaires, location for third casino are some possibilities
By ARTHUR SIM
(SINGAPORE) The Singapore Tourism Board (STB) could launch a Request for Concepts (RFC) for the Southern Islands as early as the first quarter of 2007 - setting the ball rolling for a resort, or even super-exclusive haven for billionaires. Speaking at LeisureInvest Asia 2000 conference yesterday, STB's assistant chief executive for brand and communications Ken Low said the Southern Islands could be developed into a 'premium' resort and an RFC could be launched in early 2007. In a statement released later, Mr Low said: 'The Singapore Tourism Board is exploring more opportunities to develop the tourism landscape in Singapore beyond the two integrated resorts. We will reveal more details in the first quarter of next year.' STB's director of Leisure Planning Kok Ping Soon said the board has been working with other government agencies on how best to use the Southern Islands. Although this is still at the exploratory stage, he said concepts could include eco-tourism or cultural tourism. But he added: 'We do not want to dissipate tourism all over Singapore.' Although a timeframe for development has not been made public, Mr Kok said plans for the Southern Islands are tied to STB's target to attract 17 million visitors 2015.
The Southern Islands include St John's Island, Kusu Island, Lazarus Island, Sisters' Islands, Renget and Kias. Together they add up to about 140 hectares of land. This is not the first time development plans have emerged for the islands. In March 2004, then-Minister for Trade and Industry George Yeo said the cluster of islands was being considered as a location for a casino, with a possible bridge linking them to Sentosa. Although plans for this were sidelined after Marina Bay and Sentosa were confirmed as the casino locations, discussions - under the radar - appear to have continued. Sources say ideas that have been bandied about include a haven for billionaires. Only 300 housing plots would be sold, with an additional 100-room luxury hotel to serve guests and residents. Access would be private yacht only. Whether STB would consider offering a third casino licence to any developer of the Southern Islands - after the 10-year moratorium on the first two licences expires - is not known. Analyst Jonathan Galaviz of Las Vegas tourism and gaming consultancy Globalysis says a casino licence would be welcomed by any investor or developer, although it may not be necessary. According to Mr Galaviz, development on the Southern Islands could feed off the tourism generated by the two upcoming IRs, but the entertainment value of the islands would have to be developed to attract repeat visits. One possible reason for resuscitating plans for the Southern Islands could be the runaway success of Sentosa Cove, where residential property prices have increased 75 per cent since the first homes were sold there three years ago. Apparently, nothing stands in the way of developing the Southern Islands, except that parts were made conservation areas under the Urban Redevelopment Authority's Green Plan of 1993. Reclamation to connect some of the Islands has been completed. It is not known if more reclamation will be required. The chairman of the Nature Society's marine conservation group Leong Kwok Peng said: 'Where there is reclamation, there is bound to be issues with conservation. 'Siltation and sedimentation from reclamation' have an adverse effect on coral reefs and marine life, he said. Reclamation has already claimed 65 per cent of Singapore's coral reefs, according to him. 'Right now we don't have a marine park, and the reason is that the land is too precious.' The value of the land will be the determining factor, and the director of marketing and business development at Savills Singapore, Ku Swee Yong, sees the Southern Islands as a 'natural progression of Sentosa Cove'. But Knight Frank director of research and consultancy Nicholas Mak said the Southern Islands are 'not exactly the Maldives', so success is not guaranteed. He also said a resort without a casino might not work, as other attractions might not draw a critical mass.
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