Business | Tourism
Singapore seeks tourism boost from Burnett reality TV show
Singapore will tie up with Mark Burnett, the producer of Survivor and The Apprentice to film a reality television show in the island-state, helping to promote the Southeast Asian nation as a travel destination.
- Bloomberg
- Published: 00:02 October 1, 2008
Singapore: Singapore will tie up with Mark Burnett, the producer of Survivor and The Apprentice to film a reality television show in the island-state, helping to promote the Southeast Asian nation as a travel destination.
The latest installment of The Contender, featuring 16 international professional boxers, started production in the city-state last month, the first time it's been filmed outside the US, Burnett told reporters in Singapore Monday.
The show will feature local tourist landmarks including Esplanade Park, Boat Quay and the Singapore Botanic Gardens.
The show is the latest bid by Singapore, which is girding for a possible recession, to raise its profile as a travel destination.
The island-state, which this week hosted Formula One's first night race, is planning two casino resorts, an $850 million sports centre and the first Youth Olympic Games in the next three years.
"You look at a thing like Sunday night - the Formula One - it's clear that Singapore likes to associate with incredible brands," Burnett said. "It's such an efficient place to work, and there's such a great staff here that have been trained in our way and have learned so fast. It's our intention absolutely to bring more and more productions here."
The producer set up in October 2007 Mark Burnett Asia, a venture with Genting International, which is building a casino-resort on Sentosa island. The company is in talks to produce more shows in Singapore, Burnett said, without elaborating.
The tie-up comes as Singapore posted its worst drop in tourist arrivals since a respiratory virus halted travel in 2003.
The city-state will probably miss a government target of 10.8 million visitors in 2008, the tourism board said on September 23, after visitor arrivals dropped 7.7 per cent in August amid a weaker global economic outlook.
The Contender, which will be hosted by US actor Tony Danza, will receive subsidies and other logistical support from the Singapore Tourism Board as part of the 'Film in Singapore Scheme' to encourage filmmakers and broadcasters to come to the city-state, said Ken Low, the government agency's assistant chief executive for brand and communications.
He declined to say how much Singapore will spend on the programme.
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