The Trade and Industry Minister for Singapore, George Yeo, has announced plans in Parliament for the country to get a world-class entertainment resort and seafront residential haven.

If plans go ahead, more land will be reclaimed around Singapore’s island resort of Sentosa and cluster of five Southern islands off Sentosa, and a comprehensive range of leisure facilities; including hotels, beaches, spas, F&B outlets, themed attractions and convention facilities will be built. The development will be loosely based on the concept behind the Atlantis Resort in the Bahamas.

“What we envisage is an international playground, separate from Singapore but accessible to all Singaporeans, with more relaxed rules to attract international talent, visitors and investments,” Minister Yeo told Parliament.

One of the plans for the area, which has got the whole of Singapore talking, is the proposal to open a casino in the new development. It will be the first one ever to open in the city state and will test Singapore’s strict laws on gambling. Although it is reported that a number of US-based casino operators are interested in developing a casino in Singapore, they are waiting to find out more about what regulations the government will impose and what decision it comes to about tax and licensing rights, before getting too excited.

Whether or not it goes ahead, the tourism industry in Singapore agrees, a casino will have a positive knock on effect on other sectors like hotels and hospitality.

Meanwhile, the Singapore-based newspaper, The Business Times, is reporting that Raffles Holdings chief executive, Jennie Chua could become the new chair of Sentosa Cove Pte Ltd – the group set up to develop a residential area, complete with golf courses and yachting marina, on Sentosa. Raffles Holdings is the hospitality arm of South-east Asia’s largest property developer CapitaLand.

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