Major makeover for Orchard Road
Major makeover for Orchard Road
Bernice Han, Agence France-Presse/Singapore
Singapore's famous shopping Orchard Road strip is set to undergo a makeover worth nearly US$1 billion as part of the city-state's efforts to become one of the world's premier retail havens.
The ambitious revamp comes as the tiny Southeast Asian nation faces fast-rising competition from other regional cities for the shopping tourist dollar, with Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Hong Kong and Macau all offering increasingly attractive alternatives.
Spearheading the Orchard Road upgrade will be the construction of a 218-meter tall skyscraper that authorities say will be the landmark structure for the two-kilometer-long street.
The skyscraper, to be the tallest on Orchard Road, will boast a 360-degree public observation deck at the top and a 3,000- square-metre public event space.
Four plots of sites in the precinct have also been put up for tender to be developed into mega shopping malls, while more underground walkways will be built to link existing shopping centers.
"We envision Orchard Road as one of the world's greatest shopping streets and a unique lifestyle destination with exciting retail, dining and entertainment," Vivian Balakrishnan, second minister for trade and industry, said recently when details of the revamp were unveiled.
The upgrade plans kicked into motion with the tenders and the government hopes to begin renovations quickly, however an exact timeframe will not be determined until investors submit their plans.
Association of Singapore Attractions chairman Francis Phun told AFP the revamp was timely as Orchard Road, long a magnet for international bargain hunters, was in danger of becoming just like any other shopping street in Asia.
"I think what we need is more surprises ... when you shop at other places like Hong Kong and Bangkok, they have a huge variety of goods," Phun said.
Tourism is a vital cog in Singapore's famously efficient economy, with the sector accounting for 3 percent of the city- state's annual gross domestic product, and Orchard Road has been one of the most important components.
Government statistics show 76 percent of visitors to Singapore visited Orchard Road in 2003 and spent $206 million on shopping.
Last year was particularly strong for the tourism sector, with a record 8.3 million visitors, or 6 percent of all visitors to the Asia-Pacific region, descending on the city-state, according to the Singapore Tourism Board.
The tourists injected almost $6 billion into the economy.
However, Singapore has lofty ambitions and is aiming to triple tourism receipts to $18 billion and double arrivals to 17 million by 2015.
Elsewhere in Asia, Macau is counting on its growing array of glitzy Las Vegas-style casinos to lure tourists while Hong Kong will in September be able to boast of having its own Disneyland theme park.
Balakrishnan signaled Singapore was very much aware of the growing competition when he announced the revamp.
"Many cities are attempting to undergo this transformation... London, Paris, New York or even closer to home," he said.
"We must continue to build on Orchard Road's strengths and harness its enormous potential. Orchard Road will play a pivotal role in the achievement of these goals (boosting tourism numbers)."
Foreign tourists wandering along Orchard Road recently said they were already very impressed with what was on offer, with Irishman Donal Barry telling AFP he preferred the Singapore experience to similar retail strips in Europe.
"There's better shopping here," Barry told AFP, explaining he preferred the variety of shops and the clean environment.
Australian tourist Carol Cutler expressed similar positive sentiments, although she expressed concern the trees and greenery that are a feature of Orchard Road will be lost in the upgrade.
"I like the space, the plants and the trees ... I don't know if you need any more malls," she said.