New Singapore Visitor Centre opens

New Singapore Visitor Centre opens

The Singapore Visitor Centre finally has a new home - in a Peranakan shophouse - after spending more than a decade housed in an interim building in Orchard Road.

The new centre, which opens today, is between Orchard Gateway and Peranakan Place at Emerald Hill, opposite Somerset MRT station. It was previously located a short distance away and received an average of about 10,000 visitors a month.

Its new features include four interactive information kiosks, which tourists can use to plan itineraries digitally.

They can print them or e-mail a soft copy to themselves.

The destinations that they have picked will be plotted on a map and there will also be details such as opening hours of the attractions.

The new centre also has a shop selling souvenirs created by local designers, such as erasers shaped like kueh tutu - traditional cakes - and tins decorated with shophouse facades.

Free Wi-Fi is available and tourists can also buy tickets for arts and entertainment events as well as book hotels and tours.

Ms Choo Huei Miin, the Singapore Tourism Board's director of visitor experience and capability development, said: "The new Singapore Visitor Centre aims to be a one-stop service and information touch-point that adds to visitors' overall experience in Singapore."

The Peranakan shophouse at 216 Orchard Road is part of the Emerald Hill conservation area, which dates back to 1901.

The upper floor of the shophouse will open only in the second quarter of this year and will be an event space for exhibitions and installations.

cherylw@sph.com.sg


This article was first published on Feb 17, 2015.
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