The revamp of Singapore's holiday island, Sentosa, is expected to see the place attracting eight million visitors a year, generating S$900 million ($4.15 billion) by 2012.
Shopping is a Singaporean national pastime and staying there for any length of time means the visitor can easily morph into a shopaholic. Unsurprisingly, therefore, the manicured beaches of the city-state's seaside zone often remain embarrassingly empty, especially, and strangely, at weekends and on the sunniest days.
But things are about to change thanks to a S$10 billion, 10-year plan to reinvent Sentosa and its surrounding area. A generous portion of that cash supports a simple concept to bring the shops to the beach.
Darrell Metzger, chief executive officer of the government-linked Sentosa Leisure Group (SLG), says: 'By providing better facilities on the beaches and offering people cafes and pubs, we have already increased the volume of visitors. Last year, five million people visited, which is a record. But we want to service people better.'
The Sentosa makeover is not just about its three beaches. Faced with fierce competition in the region for the tourist dollar, straight-laced Singapore is embarking on a change of identity for its 500-hectare holiday hub.
The rejuvenation encompasses Sentosa Island and its core residential development, Sentosa Cove, the Southern Islands and the Harbour Front precinct, including the Singapore Cruise Centre. About S$2 billion will be spent on the Harbour Front upgrade, which incorporates the construction of Vivo City, a 100,000-square-metre shopping mall to be completed by October next year.