SINGAPORE – Sentosa’s new Sensoryscape walkway is not only an artery connecting the north of the island to its south, but it is also aimed at getting more people to come to – and stay on – the island.

As the island’s visitor numbers rose over the years, its management found that the infrastructure could not accommodate the larger crowds.

“When visitor numbers went up, we found that capacity could not cope... so we wanted (the Sensoryscape) to be a passageway to enhance capacity and connectivity for people to move around the island,” Ms Thien Kwee Eng, chief executive of Sentosa Development Corporation (SDC), told The Straits Times.

The 350m-long thoroughfare, lined with towering sensory gardens combining nature, technology and architecture, is an experiential attraction that officially opens on March 14. Spanning 30,000 sq m, it links Resorts World Sentosa (RWS) to the beaches in the south of the island.

Before the Sensoryscape, the main ways to traverse the island along the north-south spine included riding the Sentosa Express monorail or shuttle buses.

The north-south spine of the island originally comprised features such as the Sentosa Ferry Terminal and the Sentosa Musical Fountain, which were both located where RWS currently is. Attractions along the way included a 37m-tall Sentosa Merlion, which was closed in October 2019 after 24 years, and subsequently demolished.

When the Merlion was constructed in 1995, visitor numbers to the island were between four million and six million annually. These grew to an annual average of 19 million before Covid-19 hit.

Visitor numbers are inching back towards pre-pandemic figures, with 15 million visitors in 2023. This is almost 25 per cent higher than the 2022 figure.

“We are very encouraged because it puts us at 75 per cent of pre-Covid-19 numbers,” said Ms Thien, who added that the trajectory of recovery is mirroring that of national tourism numbers.

Singapore’s international visitor arrivals in 2023 reached 13.6 million, according to statistics from the Singapore Tourism Board. This is 71 per cent of 2019 visitor arrivals.

Of the 15 million visitors to the island, 6.2 million were locals. Ms Thien noted that this was 30 per cent higher than pre-pandemic figures. “We are very encouraged by the results... We are optimistic about recovery and we are very heartened by how locals have embraced and keep coming back to Sentosa,” she said.

Catalysing the night economy

The $90 million Sensoryscape is the first completed project in the long-term Sentosa-Brani Master Plan to reshape the resort island and the adjacent Pulau Brani into a premier leisure and tourism destination.

Open 24 hours a day, it is also meant to be a boost to the night-time offerings on the island.

One of its features is ImagiNite, which comprises nightly light shows, digital floor projections across the walkway, and augmented reality offerings accessed through the ImagiNite mobile app. The experience starts at 7.50pm and runs till 9.40pm, but may be extended if there is demand.

“We have some night offerings, but Sensoryscape will bring it to a new level,” said Ms Thien.

Some of Sentosa’s current night-time attractions include the Wings Of Time light and music show; the Night Luge on weekend nights at Skyline Luge Singapore; beachfront clubs such as Tipsy Unicorn; and the ongoing Harry Potter: A Forbidden Forest Experience. The Palawan @ Sentosa’s UltraGolf, an 18-hole beachside course, and electric go-kart circuit HyperDrive are open till late too.

Ms Thien said that while the Harry Potter experience – which takes participants on a walk along the Sentosa Coastal Trail to see magical creatures from the fictional wizarding world – is a short-term one with no end date announced yet, SDC hopes to “continue the experience (of the walking trail) in a different form”.

“We are in discussions for more such activations to fully leverage our natural assets and also the night-time opportunities (on the island),” she added.

Increasing ‘dwell time’ and business opportunities

Sensoryscape was also designed with users in mind. The pathway has a gentle gradient and accessibility features such as ramps and lifts for the elderly and wheelchair users. Pets that are leashed are also allowed.

Ms Thien expects that those coming to Sentosa for other reasons will also stop at Sensoryscape, and “increase their dwell time” on the island at the pathway.

“Whether it is a new or repeat visitor... (this in turn) will help catalyse business opportunities for island partners and also for the island in terms of the night stretch,” she noted, adding that partners can now design itineraries differently, incorporating more unique experiences.

Ms Thien hopes Sensoryscape will wow guests, whether local or international.

“We hope that it’s an icon of Sentosa, and every visitor to Singapore will come and take a look at it,” she said.