SINGAPORE - Cruise champion

TTGasia, Nov 17 - 23, 2006 / No.1502

THE Singapore Tourism Board (STB), which said in May it wanted to attract 1.5 million cruise passengers annually and have 10 cruise ships homeport here by 2015, says it will work on three “priority areas” to make it the top cruise destination in Asia.

STB director cluster development (sightseeing and cruise), Mr Chang Chee Pey, told TTG Asia: “In September, we started preliminary technical studies on the cruise terminal site in Marina South. Building this terminal is our top priority.”

Its completion date would depend on the development model. “We hope to make a decision by early 2007.

“There are two possibilities. One is a dedicated terminal catering only to cruise ships. The other is a mixed-use development with hotels and retail shops, making it a destination in itself.”

Mr Chang said Singapore Cruise Centre (SCC) at HarbourFront “will reach its maximum capacity soon. With new cruise ship deployments to Singapore, we have had to juggle schedules to accommodate them all. The SCC is unable to handle large ships. Queen Mary 2, when it calls on Singapore next year, will have to dock at a container port.” SCC was built in 1991 and upgraded in 1998 at a cost of about S$23 million (US$14.7 million).

Another priority is to raise awareness of Asia as a cruising destination among cruise lines and consumers.

Mr Chang said: “The competition is not among Asian countries. As a region, we are competing against other regions such as the Mediterranean and the Caribbean.”

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