Mr S Iswaran at the Launch of Sentosa 40th Anniversary Celebrations and Port of Lost Wonder Opening, 14 Apr 2012

SPEECH BY MR S ISWARAN, MINISTER, PRIME MINISTER'S OFFICE & SECOND MINISTER FOR HOME AFFAIRS & SECOND MINISTER FOR TRADE & INDUSTRY, AT LAUNCH OF SENTOSA 40TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATIONS AND PORT OF LOST WONDER OPENING, 14 APRIL 2012, 10:15 AM AT SENTOSA

Dr Loo Choon Yong, Chairman, Sentosa Development Corporation,

Mr Mike Barclay, CEO, Sentosa Development Corporation,

Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen, Girls and boys,

Good morning.

INTRODUCTION

It gives me great pleasure to join you this morning in celebrating Sentosa Development Corporation’s 40th anniversary and the opening of the Port of Lost Wonder.

DEVELOPMENT OF SENTOSA

Sentosa has come a long way from its roots as a sleepy island known as Pulau Blakang Mati. In 1968, the island was chosen for development into a holiday resort for Singaporeans and tourists. The public was invited to suggest names for the island, and the name “Sentosa” was chosen for the island. The Sentosa Development Corporation (SDC) was incorporated in 1972 to oversee the development, management and promotion of Sentosa as an island resort.

Much has changed in the 40 years since. Through careful planning and regular rejuvenation, Sentosa has transformed into a premier leisure and lifestyle destination for Singaporeans and international travelers. Visitorship has grown over the years – Sentosa welcomed half a million guests in the first year after it first opened its doors to visitors in 1974. In 2011, Sentosa welcomed 19 million visitors. I was also told that the island will be welcoming its 150 millionth guest in a few months’ time.

To support the growing number of visitors to the island, SDC will continue to further develop the island’s infrastructure to cater the needs of visitors who arrive on Sentosa by different modes of transportation. SDC will also develop an intra-island cableway and enhance pedestrian linkages to enhance connectivity between different parts of the island.

ENHANCING SINGAPORE’S TOURISM LANDSCAPE

Looking ahead, SDC will continue to work with island partners to refresh and broaden its range of offerings, to enhance Sentosa’s attractiveness to Singaporeans and tourists while maintaining the unique character of Sentosa. This is in line with the Government’s commitment to co-invest and co-create new tourism offerings and capabilities with industry, to ensure Singapore’s tourism landscape remains regionally competitive. To this end, the Government has earlier announced the injection of an additional $905 million into the Tourism Development Fund to further enhance the tourism experience and seed the tourism sector’s next stage of growth.

LAUNCH OF SENTOSA 40TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATIONS

I am pleased to announce that over the next few months, Sentosa will be organising a series of activities to mark its 40th year as Singapore’s iconic playground. Visitors will be invited to share their photos and fond memories of Sentosa over the last 40 years, which will be posted on the Sentosa 40th anniversary celebrations website. There will also be a roving exhibition at selected libraries, to commemorate Sentosa’s development over the years. The festivities will culminate in Sentosa’s Birthday Bash on 1 September 2012.

CONCLUSION

Once again, I would like to extend my heartiest congratulations to SDC on its 40th anniversary, and on the opening of the Port of Lost Wonder. Here’s wishing Sentosa many more successful years ahead. Thank you.