SINGAPORE: Malaysia’s $100 billion “ghost town”, Forest City, has been grappling with its “ghostly” image despite efforts to attract tourists.
Constructed by Country Garden, the largest developer in China, at a staggering cost of $100 billion, the development was envisioned as a “living paradise” meant to accommodate 700,000 people in opulent high-rise condominiums and villas.
However, reality paints a starkly different picture. Forest City has become one of Southeast Asia’s most prominent ghost towns, with deserted skyscrapers overlooking empty beaches and desolate roads devoid of traffic.
Even the once-promising hotel appears abandoned, with neglected swimming pools breeding dragonflies.
Despite Forest City’s aspirations to rebrand itself as a “popular short-haul tourist destination,” boasting of attracting several thousand visitors and hosting events such as golf tournaments and triathlons, the efforts seem to fall short.
In a press release, Forest City mentioned that its local waterpark had welcomed a minimum of 15,000 visitors from August to September 2022.
According to Business Insider, Wendy Noble, a resident of Singapore living just 15 minutes away, recounts her visit to Forest City, stating, “The locals had a certain look when we said we’re going to Forest City.”
Forest City’s struggles extend beyond its failure to entice tourists. Recently, despite hosting events to draw in visitors, the increase in footfall hasn’t translated into substantial profits for local businesses.
One entrepreneur in the area noted that although tourists come to the beach, they “don’t spend a cent.”
Although the place had been revamped in March, tourists like Shawn and Gary from Kuala Lumpur expressed how they “were less than impressed” and how “quiet” it was when they visited Forest City to attend a triathlon.
Shawn said, “I wouldn’t come here. There’s nothing here. It’s quiet dead. I didn’t know what to expect. We’ve heard it’s quite run down, and it turned out it’s not that bad, but I’d rather go somewhere else if not for the event.”
However, amidst the desolation, one spot pulls tourists—Forest City’s golf resort. With its modern facilities and attractive packages, the resort continues to draw in local and international visitors.
According to Business Insider, there are around 50 staying in the resort for golfing and family vacations.
Chandran, a tourist from Singapore dining at the golf resort, said:
“Next time, I want to book the suite at the hotel. My friend said he booked a room after he saw an advertisement for it on Booking.com, and it’s great,” noting the price difference in nightly rates compared to Singapore.
However, Chandran also expressed that the rest of the estate is “a bit creepy” since “most of the houses are empty.” /TISG