The Jurong Lake District (JLD) in west Singapore is set for a major transformation and will soon welcome an integrated tourism development with attractions, hotels, retail and F&B offerings.

Making the announcement at the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) Tourism Industry Conference yesterday, senior minister of state for trade and industry and education, Chee Hong Tat, described: “With its unique waterfront environment and location adjacent to the new Jurong Lake Gardens and the new Science Centre, we envision this area to be transformed into a key attraction from 2026.”

The area slated for this development is so large that JLD is set to become Singapore’s second city centre. Among new facilities and projects, it will comprise a complete overhaul of the Science Centre Singapore by mid-2020 as well as the introduction of Singapore’s third national garden, measuring 20ha.

Chee added that the ministry will soon launch an Expression of Interest until November this year. Keith Tan, chief executive of STB, revealed that some players, including developers and attractions, have “already expressed keen interest in the area”.

He expressed anticipation that JLD will encourage tourists to extend their stay by one to two nights – from the current average of 3.4 nights – as well as help to change the “preconceived notions that Jurong is far away and inaccessible”.

While encouraged by the development of the district, local players noted that improving the nearby highway link with Johor would give JLD an even stronger tourist pull.

A+B Edu Tours and Travel director, Bhajan Sing Sandhu, told TTG Asia that if cross-border traffic conditions improve, tourists in Malaysia would be more incentivised to visit Singapore’s west districts, including JLD.