Bali, Phuket or Sentosa? Singapore’s grand 20-year resort plan

Singapore is banking on lavish beachfronts, canopy walks, a transformed port and even water taxis to upgrade its holiday island, Sentosa, into a major tourism draw over the next two decades – but observers say the challenge will be in guaranteeing distinctiveness.On Friday, the Sentosa-development-corporation" class="entity-link entity-organization" data-entity-id="157863" data-entity-type="organization">Sentosa Development Corporation (SDC) unveiled plans to rejuvenate the 5 sq km resort and theme park island, which is located 10 minutes from the Singapore mainland by monorail and is also accessible by car or bus through a bridge.The Sentosa upgrade will also integrate neighbouring Pulau Brani, with a current port on the 1.22 sq km land mass to be progressively decommissioned by 2027.An artist’s impression featuring the Island Heart Transport Hub at Sentosa as the new lifestyle commercial node. Photo: Sentosa Development CorporationSDC chief Thien Kwee Eng told the media during a briefing on Wednesday that the master plan focused on shaping Sentosa’s future while staying true to what Singaporeans and tourists loved about it.