Sentosa adds bite to its attractions

ST PHOTO: TERENCE TAN

RELIVE the thrills of the adventure movie Jurassic Park, and more, when South-east Asia’s only movie theme park – Universal Studios – opens on the island resort early next year.

BY YEAR’S end, work on the hotels, theme park and casino at Resorts World at Sentosa (RWS) should be ‘substantially completed’.

Barring drastic weather changes or other delays, the integrated resort (IR) should be ready for its targeted opening early next year, said its executive vice-president of projects Michael Chin.

The only areas outstanding now are the ‘Hollywood’ and ‘New York’ zones, two of the resort’s seven themed areas, which are still waiting for some material to be shipped in.

Briefing reporters yesterday, RWS spokesman Robin Goh gave an update of the line-up of attractions that will be open to the public when it throws open its doors.

The US$1 billion (S$1.4 billion) Universal Studios Singapore theme park will have 20 attractions catering to all ages when it opens next year, with four more in the pipeline.

Ticket prices have not been fixed and will be announced soon, but they will be in three categories – for adults, children and senior citizens, and be available in the form of day passes, three-day passes and annual passes.

Mr Goh said RWS was sorting out ticketing details with the island’s landlord Sentosa Leisure Group, such as whether or how visitors to RWS will pay the $2 island admission charge.

For now, all hands are on deck to complete all construction and testing by year-end.

After that, there is the matter of obtaining the licence to operate a casino.

Casino Regulatory Authority spokesman Cheryl Foo said that both RWS and the other IR Marina Bay Sands submitted their applications for this at the beginning of this month.

It could take up to three months for the authority to conduct investigations into the companies and their major stakeholders before it makes a decision.

By then, the two IRs should also have obtained the permits for the building and operations and also for their employees who will work in the two casinos.

Source : Straits Times – 21 Oct 2009