Sin'pore banks on French topless dancers

Singapore now banks on the newly opened Crazy Horse Paris cabaret to attract tourists.

SingaporeAfter months of waiting, the famous Crazy Horse Paris cabaret finally made its Asian debut in Singapore, where authorities are banking on the topless dancers to spice up the city-state's staid image.

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The iconic French cabaret, renowned for its "Art of the Nude" shows, wowed a full house of 450 people Monday evening with 15 scantily-clad women strutting their stuff at a former two-storey warehouse converted into a theatre.

The audience clapped and cheered loudly as the girls danced for more than an hour, their precision choreography punctuated with a glitzy light show.

Started in 1951 in Paris, the cabaret has become a top entertainment draw for tourists heading to the French capital and Singapore is hoping the all-female troupe will work its Parisian magic to draw more visitors here.

"Crazy Horse Paris presents yet another exciting entertainment option for visitors to Singapore," said Lim Neo Chian, chief executive of the Singapore Tourism Board.

"As a forerunner of international entertainment brands anchoring in Singapore, Crazy Horse Paris is but one of many exciting and dynamic developments that are redefining our entertainment landscape."

Giving Crazy Horse the green light is part of Singapore's concerted effort to bolster its tourism sector, which has been lagging behind that of its neighbours.

With no natural wonders to boast of, Southeast Asia's wealthiest economy has spared no effort in building man-made attractions to broaden the appeal of the city-state and reverse a slide in tourism earnings.

Last year, tourism earnings totalled 9.6 billion Singapore dollars (5.6 billion US) from 8.3 million visitors and authorities are hoping to raise that to 30 billion dollars and 17 million arrivals annually within a decade.

The opening of Crazy Horse Paris, which is located at the heart of the Clarke Quay tourist area, is the start of several initiatives to liven up Singapore's nightlife.

To woo more visitors, Singapore in April lifted a four-decade ban on casinos and gave the go-ahead for two Las Vegas-style gaming resorts to be built by 2009 despite strong domestic opposition.

Later this month, London's celebrated Ministry of Sound nightclub will also open in Clarke Quay, a prime 24-hour entertainment precinct featuring upmarket eateries and pubs alongside the Singapore river.

In 2006, the nation's biggest entertainment complex will open near Sentosa, a tiny islet off the mainland which will be the site for one of the two planned casino resorts.

The 30-million Singapore dollar Power Station complex will house nine clubs and bars as well as three restaurants.

Over the next year, the government says more than 60 million dollars will be pumped in by the private sector to promote the entertainment industry.

"The scene is set for more transformation," Trade and Industry Ministry Lim Hng Kiang said in a speech to welcome the opening of Crazy Horse Paris.

"These front-runners will set the stage for other world-class entertainment products to base themselves in Singapore.

"Whats more, they will catalyse other entertainment and lifestyle attractions, and boost related supporting sectors such as the food and beverage industry."

Analysts said the moves to spice up Singapore's nightlife would boost its attractiveness to visitors.

"Every time there is a first, it is always a coup," said Christopher Khoo, managing director of tourism consultancy MasterConsult Services in Singapore.

"Crazy Horse has a name it's a recognised name in Paris already. To be able to bring it to Singapore is good news for us."