Debated in Parliament on 8 Jul 2019.
Mr Seah Kian Peng asked the Minister for Trade and Industry in each of the past five years, what is the breakdown of Singaporean versus foreign visitors to (i) Singapore Zoological Gardens (ii) Gardens by the Bay and (iii) Sentosa Island.
From 2014 to 2018, local visitors to the Singapore Zoological Gardens have remained at about 1.8 million a year. The number of tourist visitors increased from 2.0 million in 2014 to 2.7 million in 2018, in tandem with the growth in visitors to Singapore.
The Singapore Zoo, Night Safari, and River Safari will be rejuvenated to complement the two upcoming parks, an indoor attraction, and an eco-resort that is being developed in Mandai.
For Gardens by the Bay, which has both gated and ungated attractions, the number of local visitors grew from 4.3 million in 2014 to 6.4 million in 2018. The number of tourist visitors grew from 2.5 million to 6.0 million over the same period.
For Sentosa, the number of local visitors fell from 7.5 million in 2014 to 4.2 million in 2018, while the number of tourist visitors grew from 11.8 million to 15.5 million. Sentosa Development Corporation (SDC) is reviewing its plans and piloting new ideas to attract more locals by increasing the range and affordability of Sentosa's offerings. For example, the free-for-entry Sentosa FunFest, held during this year's March school holidays, featured more than 800 Sanrio inflatables along Palawan Beach, along with a Kid's Maze and a foam pool. The event attracted over 140,000 visitors over nine days. SDC is also working with private sector partners to implement the new initiatives, including night events and unique attractions that will appeal to both locals and tourists.
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