The CEO of Singapore’s Resorts World Sentosa (RWS) says the integrated resort must reinvent itself by focusing on experiences rather than individual attractions if it is to reclaim its mantle as a must-see part of the country’s tourism offering.
In an interview with local media outlet The Straits Times, Lee Shi Ruh also stated that RWS should not try and replicate the luxury model of its Singapore rival Marina Bay Sands but instead focus on regularly offering guests something new in the form of food, lifestyle and entertainment.
“To bring people back, they need to feel that this is a place they can hang out with family and friends, with something new every two to three weeks,” said Lee, who was also promoted to President and COO of RWS parent company Genting Singapore in August following the retirement of Tan Hee Teck.
“In the past, some guests came to gamble and then left straight away. How do you bring gamers back? We want them to feel there is more to do – eat, drink, socialize and spend time with family and friends.”
The need for change at RWS was highlighted by Singapore’s Gambling Regulatory Authority in late 2024 when it granted the property a shortened two-year license renewal, describing in the process its tourism performance as “unsatisfactory”.
Since then, as part of its US$5 billion RWS 2.0 expansion, RWS has embarked on a series of upgrades and new initiatives including a new lifestyle mall called WEAVE, the impressive Singapore Oceanarium and enhanced hotel offerings such as The Laurus.
Aside from the new waterfront expansion that will become a core feature of RWS 2.0, Lee said there would be no more closures of existing facilities but warned it would still take time for the property to realize its full potential.
“There won’t be another wave of major closures. Now, it’s about putting everything together, she said, adding that investors can already “see for themselves how the business has shifted.
“There were some [visitors] I met over the weekend who hadn’t been back for years and were pleasantly surprised by how much had changed. But results don’t come through immediately. It takes time to rebuild.”
RWS reported a 10% year-on-year decline in revenue to SG$1.2 billion (US$934 million) and a 34% fall in profit to SG$234.7 million (US$183 million) in the first six months of 2025, with analysts putting the decline down to renovation works at the property. MBS, meanwhile, booked 17% growth in net revenue to US$2.6 billion with Adjusted Property EBITDA up 24% to US$1.4 billion.
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