SINGAPORE is pressing ahead with plans to develop an integrated cruise and ferry terminal as part of a wider effort to establish a new Downtown MICE hub on the city’s southern waterfront.
The proposed facility at Straits View – located alongside Marina Bay Cruise Centre Singapore, forms part of the Greater Southern Waterfront redevelopment, linking maritime transport infrastructure with expanded exhibition capacity and future commercial and leisure projects.
Updates outlined by the Singapore Tourism Board at its Tourism Industry Conference on May 8 indicate that the project sits within a longer-term strategy to strengthen Singapore’s position as both a regional cruise gateway and an international business events hub under its Tourism 2040 roadmap.
The facility at Straits View will be located alongside a proposed Downtown MICE Hub, linking maritime arrivals directly with exhibition and convention infrastructure.
The conference heard that the Straits View concept reflected Singapore’s strategy of aligning cruise tourism with business events, enabling organisers to incorporate sea-based travel and pre- and post-event programmes into large-scale conventions.
Cruise facilities are also being upgraded elsewhere: the Singapore Cruise Centre at HarbourFront will relocate to a new purpose-built terminal opening in July 2026, featuring automated baggage handling and a dedicated lounge for premium travellers.
Alongside hardware investments, STB highlighted a pipeline of international events. These include the Passenger Terminal Expo Asia and Breakbulk Asia in 2026, as well as the WCA Worldwide Conference and the Virtuoso Symposium in 2027. Sustainability-led gatherings such as Recharge Wind Power Summit Asia-Pacific and Innovate4Climate are also part of the lineup.
Officials framed these developments against a backdrop of strong tourism performance. Singapore recorded S$32.8 billion (about USD25.8bn) in tourism receipts in 2025, supported by 16.9 million international arrivals, while cruise passenger numbers exceeded two million.
For 2026, STB forecasts between 17 million and 18 million visitors and tourism receipts of S$31 billion to S$32.5 billion. An additional S$740 million will be injected into the Tourism Development Fund over the next five years, part of efforts to reinforce Singapore’s role as a hub for global business, capital and talent.
Technology is another cornerstone of the MICE strategy. STB introduced an AI Playbook for Tourism to accelerate adoption of generative AI among industry players, alongside the Tcube Centre of Excellence, which will offer access to data tools and digital resources. The aim is to improve productivity and enable more personalised and data-driven event experiences.
Beyond convention infrastructure, the roadmap includes a series of precinct upgrades designed to broaden Singapore’s appeal to organisers seeking integrated urban experiences. Orchard Road, long associated with retail, is being repositioned through a rejuvenation programme launching in mid-2026, with new event-ready public spaces, night-time programming and experiential installations.
A new 3,000-seat venue on Grange Road, backed by Live Nation and supported by STB, will provide an additional platform for concerts and large-scale events, complementing existing convention and exhibition facilities. Its calendar is expected to align with major national events such as the Singapore Grand Prix season and year-end festivities.
Further developments across the Orchard and Somerset districts – including new hotels, mixed-use projects and pedestrian-friendly public spaces – are intended to create a more cohesive environment for delegates, blending meetings with lifestyle and leisure options within a compact area.
The former Faber House on Orchard Road has been redeveloped into Asia Pacific’s first NoMad hotel under Hilton. The 19-storey luxury lifestyle hotel set to open by the end of the year, with the development also featuring F&B options and a new public space.
Looking longer term, the Greater Sentosa master plan will add new capacity for tourism and events across 120 hectares spanning Sentosa and Pulau Brani. The development is expected to provide additional venues and hotel inventory while preserving natural landscapes, offering options for incentive travel and large-scale corporate gatherings.
STB also signed three MOUs with international partners to drive visitor spend by broadening Singapore’s global marketing outreach:
• Weixin Pay: Building on the success of an earlier collaboration to enhance accessibility for Chinese visitors, the strategic partnership is renewed for another three years.
• Universal Music Singapore (UMSG): The three-year partnership builds on STB’s previous collaborations with UMSG artistes, including Nick Jonas’s appearance at Singapore Art Week, OneRepublic’s social content exploring the inspiration behind their instrumental track Singapore, and Billie Eilish’s live performance at Gardens by the Bay.
• Mr Romance: one of South Korea’s rising global content production companies is sets to bring extensive experience in international co-productions, having produced content for major streaming platforms such as Disney+ to Apple TV+.
Taken together, the initiatives signal a shift in Singapore’s MICE strategy from standalone venues to integrated districts that combine infrastructure, programming and technology. By linking transport nodes, event spaces and lifestyle precincts, STB is aiming to position the city not just as a host for conferences, but as a platform for business events and networking experiences.
Main picture… An artist’s rendering of a venue design at the new integrated cruise and ferry terminal at Straits View, which is set to form part of a Downtown MICE Hub.
