SINGAPORE - Visitors to the Skyline Luge Sentosa can expect more twists and turns with the addition of two new luge tracks to the 12-year-old attraction.
Bringing the total number of tracks for the attraction to four, the new tracks - the 658m-long Expedition and the 638m-long Kupu Kupu, which means butterfly in Malay - promise more hairpin corners and long slopes for visitors.
Skyline Luge Sentosa's first new tracks in seven years, they are part of a $14 million upgrade for the attraction.
Lecturer Virginia Goh, 36, who visits the luge about once or twice a year with her family, said she enjoyed the new tracks, adding: "It's good that they provide something new for regular visitors to enjoy."
Another new feature is a new Skyride chairlift, which will reduce the waiting times for rides - which can be more than one-and-a-half hours on weekends - to just about 30 minutes.
The 315m-long Skyride transports visitors from Siloso Beach to the luge's starting point on top of Imbiah Lookout.
Reaching up to 16m above the ground, it allows visitors a view of the Singapore city skyline as well as out to the South China Sea.
The new facilities were launched yesterday as part of attempts to revitalise the attraction and encourage more repeat visitors, said Skyline Luge Sentosa general manager Ryan Williams.
He noted that though visitor numbers have gone up over the years - from around 670,000 rides a decade ago (2007) to 1.2 million last year (2016) - there has been a drop of about 10 per cent in the number of local visitors over the last two to three years.
"We wanted something new to draw back the local crowd, as they're our base clients," he said.
As part of a promotion that ends on Dec 31 this year, Singapore citizens and permanent residents can enjoy $3 off for four luge and Skyride rides, which would normally cost $28.
Skyline Luge Sentosa will also be setting aside 700 tickets worth up to $15,400 to local charity and community organisations.
Sentosa works with its partners to "refresh and rejuvenate" the island's offerings, said Sentosa Development Corporation assistant chief executive Jacqueline Tan, adding the Skyline Luge's new facilities will bring "even more fun and excitement" to visitors.
Skyline Luge Sentosa - an initiative by New Zealand-based tourism company Skyline Enterprises- is also collaborating with another firm in a tender for a new attraction on the island, said Mr Williams.
He would only describe the attraction as "family-friendly" and a "brand-new product" for the firm, declining to say more as the tender has yet to be announced.
