MOS Iswaran's reply to Parliament Questions on Attractiveness of Orchard Road as a Shopping Destination

Question No 457 of Notice Paper No 297 of 2007

Name and Constituency of Member of Parliament
Dr Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim, Member of Parliament for Marine Parade GRC.

Question:
To ask the Minister for Trade and Industry whether he is able to provide an update on the attractiveness of Orchard Road as a shopping destination in the region.

Answer:
Mr Speaker Sir, Orchard Road is today the top destination for tourists in Singapore. The number of tourists who visit Orchard Road has grown from 4.7 million in 2003 to an all-time high of 7.1 million in 2006. This means that about 73 percent of all tourists who visit Singapore make a trip down to Orchard Road. Orchard Road is internationally known. The magazine for the Swiss International Airlines, Swiss Magazine, for example, named Orchard Road as one of the top ten great shopping streets in the world for 2007.

However, with fierce competition among existing and upcoming global cities, there is a need to inject new ideas for constant rejuvenation to give fresh appeal. Government has already taken the first few steps in this direction. The Singapore Tourism Board has helped launch late-night shopping every Saturday, when shops open till 11 pm in the evening. STB has also recently announced the details of the $40-million mall enhancement works. This followed active consultation of Orchard stakeholders. The works aim to enhance the appeal of Orchard Road by introducing lush landscaping, ambient lighting and improvements in infrastructural. The Urban Redevelopment Authority has also put in place incentive schemes to help retailers and building owners in Orchard Road enhance the existing developments.

We have also released 3 sites for new developments on Orchard Road - Ion Orchard, Somerset Orchard and Orchard Central. These new developments will add about 131,000 square meters of gross shop space to Orchard Road by 2009, which is about 26% of the total current shop space in Orchard Road. This will pave the way for retailers to bring in flagship stores with new brands and allow existing brands to expand their presence in Orchard Road.

For renowned global cities, key shopping streets have always served as an icon of vibrancy. Much has been done to improve Orchard Road’s attractiveness as a premier shopping street. We will continue to do more to position Orchard Road as a must-visit destination for locals and tourists alike.