Some Singapore attractions see less local visitors this June school holidays
Snow City Singapore, for instance, has experienced a 20 per cent on-year drop in visitors in the first 10 days of the month.
Its general manager Norazani Shaiddin said the strong Singapore dollar could have enticed more holidaymakers to travel abroad this year.
'Maybe it is due to new pockets of attractions that have surfaced in the neighbouring (cities) like Johor Bahru. Perhaps people can go as far as up to Korea due to very affordable airfares for them to travel,' he told CNA.
Locals currently make up 55 per cent of customers visiting the snow centre, up from about 35 per cent three years ago, said Mr Norazani.
He added that the facility is working on new experiences to attract patrons.
Snow City previously refreshed its offerings by launching a three-storey high revamped luge area last October. It also added a gallery in February this year featuring ice sculptures.
Additionally, it has introduced combined ticket packages that offer joint admission with the Science Centre Singapore, located next door.
The snow centre is among local attractions exploring new initiatives and unique experiences to entice customers as they seek to improve footfall.
DEALS AND EXPERIENCES
Over in Boat Quay, Kulnari Mystery Golf is similarly looking at more varieties in its offerings after it experienced a 30 per cent decrease in total visitors on-year for the June holiday period.
Locals make up approximately 80 per cent of its customer base.
The miniature golf course said it is seeking to improve business by providing a space for corporate team-building events and tapping into growing demand for Instagram-worthy experiences.
It also has a bar on its premises for cocktail workshops or for patrons to dine after playing its signature 1920s-themed murder mystery miniature golf game.
At the Museum of Ice Cream in Dempsey, ticket deals, annual memberships and events are offered to encourage return visits.
The attraction reopened two months ago following a revamp.
New features include a refresh of some of its 14 different interactive rooms for visitors to explore and five buffet stations offering unlimited servings of 19 different flavours of ice cream.
It also conducts ice cream making classes and offers venue rental packages for parties, corporate events and team-building workshops.
The museum is currently offering promotional ticket prices for Singapore residents and updated pricing for its annual membership programme that is open to all visitors.
A new ticket category was also introduced as part of the revamp, with VIP passes allowing visitors express entry to the attraction, as well as a gift bag and access to activities conducted by the museum.
While local visitor numbers have remained steady, the firm's head of revenue and growth Prakash T. said the museum tries to encourage patrons to visit again.
'I would say most people have been here … at least once, but to get them coming back again, that's when we do (a) refresh,' said Mr Prakash.
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CNA
34 minutes ago
- CNA
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Earlier this year, he partnered with distiller Philibert Gandy and Edward Lee, PSGourmet's former group business director, to open a distillery back in Singapore called Distillius. Teo has always had a passion for exploring new flavours. 'For me, tasting is about discovery. I'll eat airplane food just to see how it was done. I know it's not going to be great, but I'm just curious,' he said, adding with a chuckle that his 'waist is not very happy about it'. This natural curiosity brought him to the process of distillation, which he describes as equal parts art and science. 'There's the art of deciding what botanicals you want to put together, and then the science of how to do it, and then the end product is where both art and science meet.' Distillius specialises in what Teo calls 'equatorial aperitifs', crafted from botanicals from the equatorial belt. One of the products the team came up with is Arveau, a bittersweet amaro made from ginseng root, calamansi and torch ginger. 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If there's one dish Teo recommends trying, it's the CB Bistro Burger. Whenever he dines out, Teo is often on the lookout for a good burger. 'Some chefs think it's beneath them to put a burger on the menu. That has always mystified me, because there are good burgers and not-so-good burgers.' The drink menu was developed in collaboration with cocktail maestro Jay Gray, formerly from cocktail bar Sago House. Distillius' aperitifs, liqueurs and syrups are naturally core to the menu. There are four key cocktails – the Arveau Lychee Spritz, Chocolate and Spice Negroni, Arveau Espresso Martini and Old Fashion Pandan – along with non-alcoholic options crafted with Distillius' range of syrups and equatorial botanicals such as roselle, torchflower and black lime. As for Teo's vision for the bistro and distillery, he is content to take things one step a time. 'We will put our very best into it and the way we've worked in the past is to be open to the universe and see what happens.' 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