Universal Studios Theme Park Opens in Singapore
Tourism in Singapore is one of the major industry and contributor to the Singaporean economy. In an effort to attract more tourists, the government of Singapore legalized gambling and authorized the proposed construction of two casino resorts. Along with this, Singapore unveiled its plan to build a theme park whose construction started in 2007. In 2010 the park opened its door; it was a Universal Studios theme park, the first ever to be built in Southeast Asia.
The Universal Studios Singapore covers a span of 49 acres of land and is built on the eastern most corner of the Resorts World Sentosa. The park boasts of 24 attractions out of which 18 have been exclusively designed for the park in Singapore. Surrounding the lagoon which is present within the park, are seven uniquely built theme zones. Each zone is created based on a certain chartbuster Hollywood movie or television show and each having its own inimitable attractions, dining options and shopping opportunities. The entry fee was set at a modest SGD$ 10.
The main entrance area of the park is graced by the Hollywood zone. It is built to replicate the renowned Hollywood Boulevard, complete with a broad-way style theatre, palm trees and the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Also guest appearances are made by animated and iconic characters like Po, Winnie the Pooh, Marilyn Monroe and Charlie Chaplin. New York is built based on the original ‘city that never sleeps’ during the epoch of post modernization. This zone showcases the trademark skyline of the New York city along with sidewalks and facades that has been often portrayed and romanticized in the movies. Apart from the several food and beverage outlets, the prized attraction of this zone is Stage 28 where the visitors get to see props used in several Universal movies and the happenings behind the screen and get a taste of film production.