Universal Singapore Launches Grand Opening

The Independent: A mixture of stars from both the East and West's entertainment worlds are gathering in Singapore this weekend for the official launch of Asia's first Universal Studios theme park.

The Grand Opening of Universal Studios Singapore - to be held over May 27 and 28 - will see Chinese martial arts superstar Jet Li joined by acclaimed Hong Kong actress Maggie Cheung, China's Vicki Zhao Wei, and American singer Paula Abdul for celebrations that will take in a parade, a traditional red carpet walk for the stars and a gala party.

And while Arnold Schwarzenegger was a late withdrawal for the festivities planned - with more pressing matters to deal with on the home front - Universal Studios Singapore is hoping that by revealing such attractions as the Madagascar Ride and the BSG Roller Coaster they'll be able to grab the lion's share of tourists now flocking to the Lion City.

"What excites us is that these superstars bring magic, movies and entertainment to life. And this epitomizes what Universal Studios Singapore is all about," Michael Silver, president of global business development, Universal Parks & Resorts, said in a statement.

Singapore has under the past five years invested heavily in building two massive tourist attractions - Marina Bay Sands and Resorts World Sentosa, which houses the Universal Studios theme park among other attractions. Both properties also include casinos which last year generated a staggering US$5.1 billion (3.5 billion euros) combined.

Singapore has launched a concentrated effort to lure both Asian and international tourists away from cities such as Hong Kong (which has its own theme parks in Disneyland and Ocean Park) and Macau, which has invested heavily in casinos. The move has been paying off too with Singapore last year welcoming a record 12 million visitors, a year-on-year rise of around 25 percent.

For those wanting to keep up with this weekend's action in Singapore, Universal Studios has set up a Facebook site (www.facebook.com/ResortsWorldatSentosa) which will feature regular updates.