It is just a matter of months now until the grand opening of the Universal Studios theme park in Singapore, but that excitement was tempered somewhat when the much-awaited ticket prices were finally made public on Wednesday.
Those who had been hoping for something more affordable would certainly have been baulking at the admission costs, because an outing to the famous attraction – South-east Asia’s first and only Universal Studios – will not come cheap.
A one-day weekend pass will cost $72 for adults, $52 for children and $36 for senior citizens. Visiting on weekdays will be slightly easier on the wallet – $66, $48 and $32 respectively.
Let’s do the math: A typical family of, say, two adults and three children planning an outing to the theme park on a Saturday will have to fork out $300 in ticket charges alone. Driving into Sentosa will cost an extra $12 ($2 per person and $2 for the car), and at least another $3 in car park fees on the island. Factor in some exorbitantly priced meals, snacks and a souvenir or two and a day’s outing could easily come up to well over $400.
Staying at one of the Sentosa integrated resort’s (IR) hotels is also going to set one back a fair sum. The rates for three hotels have since been made public – deluxe rooms at the Festive Hotel start at $400 a night, it’s $450 to stay at the Hard Rock Hotel and $500 at Hotel Michael.
My initial worry is that many Singaporeans, particularly from the lower-income groups, will probably never get the chance to visit and enjoy the theme park, even if there are some subsidies thrown in.
If Resorts World Sentosa (RWS) wants to realistically achieve its target of seeing up to 30,000 visitors at Universal Studios each day, there are no two ways about it: attracting the locals is their best hope.
Getting them to visit – and multiple times, at that – is key for any attraction if investment costs are to be recouped. The tourist segment is crucial, too, but most foreigners would likely visit the theme park just once and then choose to see other attractions on subsequent visits.
Singapore’s ticket prices are cheaper than Universal’s two other attractions in Orlando, Florida in the United States, and in Osaka, Japan, which cost US$79 (S$109) and 5,800 yen (S$90) respectively for a full-day pass.
Over at Disneyland in Hong Kong, an adult ticket goes for HK$350 (S$63), while Disneyland in Paris charges 52 euros (S$107).
But interestingly, Universal in Florida charges residents there much lower ticket prices – US$55 for an adult full-day pass if one buys the tickets online. RWS, however, has kept mum so far about whether there would be a similar incentive for entice more Singaporeans to visit.
A spokesman was, however, quoted in reports yesterday that there would be tie-ups with RWS’ local partners to offer Singaporeans attractive packages and rates, particularly for off-peak periods.
It would be wise to hook locals from the start by offering family package discounts, or allow children under 12 to enter for free, or perhaps giving ticket-holders vouchers that can be exchanged for drinks, snacks or a souvenir – anything that will make the experience as memorable and positive as possible.
Leaving a lasting first impression would go a long way to making sure that locals will want to return again. After all, as the RWS spokesperson was quoted as saying, the Sentosa IR where the theme park is housed is ‘a place for every Singaporean’ and it is in the interest of the IR to ‘reach out to everyone, not forgetting grandmas and grandpas’.
The buzz surrounding Universal Studios Sentosa has been amplifying over the past few months. I know of many friends who are chomping at the bit to try the world’s tallest duelling rollercoaster or step inside the world’s first Far Far Away Castle from the Shrek movies.
If RWS plays its cards right from the get-go, it could be decisive in ensuring that the theme park remains a hit with Singaporeans and not go the way of forgotten and now-defunct attractions such as Tang Dynasty City in Jurong and the Fantasy Island water theme park in Sentosa.
Source : Business Times – 20 Nov 2009
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