THE Singapore government is considering adding hotels, leisure amenities and F&B establishments in Mandai to develop the area as a nature tourism hub.
“With its tropical rainforest and freshwater setting, and the co-location of complementary animal-themed attractions, the Mandai area’s rich biodiversity makes it an ideal location for a nature cluster,” said S Iswaran, Singapore’s second minister for trade & industry at the opening of the Giant Panda Forest yesterday, home to pandas Kai Kai and Jia Jia, and the first River Safari attraction to welcome guests. The river-themed wildlife park will only be fully open in 2013.
According to The Straits Times, the minister also added: “We want developments that are sensitive and complementary to what we already have…we don’t want something that jars with (the existing nature-related attractions in Mandai).”
National Association of Travel Agents Singapore CEO, Robert Khoo, welcomed the idea and told the local broadsheet that the hotels to be built should ideally be similar to the five-star lodges in Kenya and South Africa.
Iswaran said that the Mandai Nature Cluster development was “part of the broader process of ongoing rejuvenation of Singapore’s tourism offerings”.
“We have seen robust 11 per cent year-on-year growth visitor arrivals in the first half of 2012, and additions such as the Giant Panda Forest and River Safari will add further vibrancy and dynamism to our city that can be enjoyed by Singaporeans and visitors alike,” he said.
