SINGAPORE \u2013 Two new projects aimed at bolstering Singapore\u2019s position as a global hub are being planned at Marina South, with a new integrated cruise and ferry terminal and an exhibition hub on the cards.<\/p>\n
Speaking at the Tourism Industry Conference 2026, Minister-in-charge of Trade Relations Grace Fu said the Government is assessing the feasibility of locating the cruise and ferry terminal next to the existing Marina Bay Cruise Centre Singapore,<\/span><\/a> as part of the development of the Greater Southern Waterfront.<\/p>\n Ms Fu, who is also Minister for Sustainability and the Environment, said the new terminal could support three cruise berths and up to 10 ferry berths.<\/p>\n The authorities have also identified an area near Marina Bay MRT station as the potential location of the MICE (meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions) hub, she said. <\/p>\n It will complement other MICE venues in the city such as Raffles City, Suntec City and Marina Bay Sands.<\/p>\n The hub \u201cis envisioned as an integrated development, offering MICE facilities, accommodation, dining and retail, entertainment and attractions\u201d, said Ms Fu, who was speaking at the conference in the Resorts World Convention Centre.<\/p>\n \u201cIts proximity to the potential new cruise terminal will also create exciting new possibilities,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n The hub, added Ms Fu, will allow Singapore to host more and bigger events downtown, and run complementary ones concurrently at other city-centre venues.<\/p>\n The development schedules for the cruise and ferry terminal, as well as the MICE hub, have not been announced.<\/p>\n Visuals provided at the conference show that the planned cruise centre will be built on a piece of land that will be reclaimed. This is part of broader plans to add around 213ha of land to Singapore\u2019s southern coastline,<\/span><\/a> revealed by the Housing Board \u2013 the Government\u2019s agent for the reclamation project \u2013 on April 8.<\/p>\n Ms Fu said the new terminal will have a combined capacity that is 1.5 times that of the existing Marina Bay terminal\u2019s 11,700 passengers, and twice that of the existing HarbourFront Passenger Terminal.<\/p>\n \u201cThis represents not only a significant increase in international cruise capacity, but also greater regional connectivity,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n The planned cruise and ferry terminal (centre) will be located near the existing Marina Bay Cruise Centre Singapore (left).<\/p>\n PHOTO: SINGAPORE TOURISM BOARD<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n Planning for the new terminal comes on the back of a recent study<\/span><\/a>, which showed that Singapore\u2019s share of the cruise industry\u2019s economic output was the largest in South-east Asia in 2024, at US$3.6 billion (S$4.6 billion).<\/p>\n The same study found that Singapore captured 48 per cent of the 3.9 million cruise passenger visits to the region that year.<\/p>\n The new cruise and ferry terminal is slated to be built on land in Marina South that has yet to be reclaimed.<\/p>\n ST PHOTO: LIM YAOHUI<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n Since 2025, Singapore has diversified its cruise options with new ships making the Republic their home port.<\/p>\n The most high-profile of the lot was Asia\u2019s first Disney cruise ship<\/span><\/a>, the Disney Adventure, which set sail on its maiden voyage on March 10.<\/p>\n The new terminal in Marina South has been several years in the making, with The Straits Times reporting in 2022 that the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) would study the need for new cruise and ferry infrastructure<\/span><\/a> in the Republic. This is to ensure the country is ready to capture growing demand in the medium to long term.<\/p>\n In May 2024, ST reported that there were plans for Singapore\u2019s two<\/span><\/a> existing<\/span><\/a> cruise terminals to be consolidated in the coming years,<\/span><\/a>\u00a0with the cruise centre in HarbourFront set to move, so that a\u00a0continuous promenade can be established<\/span><\/a>\u00a0as part of the Greater Southern Waterfront. <\/p>\n As for the exhibition hub, it comes as Singapore increasingly positions MICE as a high-value pillar of its tourism economy. <\/p>\n An artist’s impression of the planned MICE hub in Marina South.<\/p>\n PHOTO: SINGAPORE TOURISM BOARD<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n Business travellers are typically among the tourism sector\u2019s biggest spenders, often contributing significantly more per trip than leisure travellers through accommodation, dining and corporate entertainment. STB estimates that they spend around twice as much as leisure visitors. <\/p>\n MICE visitors are also closely tied to industries Singapore is seeking to grow, including technology, healthcare, sustainability and finance.<\/p>\n Ms Fu said having the planned MICE hub and other MICE venues within 3km of one another will create \u201ca vibrant MICE cluster that blends work and play\u201d.<\/p>\n She noted that delegates attending events at the MICE hub can enjoy various leisure offerings, including the upcoming Therme Singapore wellness facility and a redeveloped section of Gardens by the Bay. <\/p>\n Ms Fu said Singapore\u2019s MICE portfolio will grow through strategic industry tie-ups. <\/p>\n For instance, STB has established a two-year partnership with the Academy of Medicine Singapore, which will create \u201copportunities to host more best-in-class conferences that serve the medical community\u2019s professional development\u201d.<\/p>\n An artist\u2019s impression of planned MICE hub in Marina South.<\/p>\n PHOTO: SINGAPORE TOURISM BOARD<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n She also said 22 hotels have come together to launch the Singapore Hotels Incentives for Business Events (SHINE) initiative.<\/p>\n These hotels cover a quarter of the country\u2019s hotel room stock, and the initiative offers attractive accommodation packages to meeting organisers, improving Singapore\u2019s competitiveness for larger MICE bids, she said. <\/p>\n Key MICE events held recently include the World Sleep Congress 2025 and first-in-Asia editions of HealthTechX Asia 2025 and LSI Asia 2025, a medical technology summit. <\/p>\n The Republic will also host notable events in 2026, including the World Cities Summit 2026, Medical Fair Asia 2026 and Passenger Terminal Expo Asia. <\/p>\n As ASEAN chairman in 2027, Singapore will also host more than 250 ASEAN meetings of varying scales, such as the ASEAN Tourism Forum in January that year.<\/p>\n In 2024, Singapore received about 1.1 million MICE visitors, who generated $1.7 billion in tourism receipts \u2013 surpassing pre-pandemic levels in 2019, when 730,000 MICE travellers contributed $1.4 billion.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/picture><\/div>
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