Sentosa Development Corporation (SDC) has launched Singapore’s first accessible beach track and a series of inclusive tours led by persons with disabilities (PwDs), marking a significant milestone in its commitment to becoming a more inclusive tourist destination.
The accessible beach track and inclusive tours are part of SDC’s broader vision to be an inclusive tourism destination and workplace that caters to the diverse needs of all visitors and colleagues. It also aligns with SDC’s accessibility approach to holistically consider island infrastructure, offerings and programming to the specialised training of employees to assimilate guests and colleagues who are differently abled.
The new accessible beach track is designed to welcome visitors with mobility challenges. It features a 23-metre-long slip-resistant and sturdy surface that extends from Emerald Pavilion across the picturesque Siloso Beach, ensuring that guests of all abilities, including strollers, can have a means to access the beach and the sand. Accessible restrooms and amenities are placed along the route.
The track will be trialled from now until October 31, 2024. Visitor feedback will be collected via a QR code located near the track, which will help SDC to further assess its feasibility of scaling up on other beaches on the island.
Complementing the island’s first accessible beach track, SDC also recently introduced the Sentosa Wheel Venture Accessibility Tour, a five-hour adventure designed for and led by persons with disabilities. This first-of-its-kind tour, conducted in collaboration with local tour operator Tribe Tours, includes an accessible route to various attractions, such as Sentosa Nature Discovery and SkyHelix Sentosa.
Developments on Sentosa currently include accessible entrances, pathways and lifts across more than 30 locations on the island. Its latest attraction, Sentosa Sensoryscape, which made its public debut on March 14, incorporates low-gradient walks and lifts that benefit wheelchair users and parents with baby prams. These features are aligned with Universal Design guidelines.
The island destination also offers other inclusive activities, such as stand-up paddling at Ola Beach Club for persons with autism.
Happy National Day to all Singaporean readers!
Gomez is handling their branding and business model, among other tasks.
Garuda Indonesia and private airport transfer specialist have joined hands to offer a seamless pre- and post-flight land transport support at selected airports and destinations served by the airline.
Ifran Setiaputra, president & CEO of Garuda Indonesia, said the collaboration is a part of the airline’s effort to deliver added value for its customers, especially in providing premium services through a range of alternatives for airport transportation.
“In addition to offering safe and convenient air connectivity services, providing exclusive pick-up and drop-off services is an essential step that we are focusing on to further enhance our pasenger’s travel comfort. This initiative represents our commitment to provide a seamless travel experience from pre-flight, in-flight, to post-flight,” Ifran elaborated.
Sota Kimura, CEO and founder of SmartRyde said: “This partnership represents a major milestone for SmartRyde as we incorporate air and ground transportation together and provide a seamless travel experience to our mutual customers. SmartRyde aims to elevate the ancillary products for the aviation industry by offering pre-booked private airport transfers to travelers globally.”
The new airport transfer service is available to book on the FlyGaruda app, at up to 48 hours prior to arrival time. It is currently available to travellers in Australia’s Sydney and Melbourne, Thailand’s Bangkok, Japan’s Haneda and Narita, South Korea’s Incheon, the Netherlands’ Amsterdam, Malaysia’s Kuala Lumpur, and Singapore.