SINGAPORE — From Oct 17, the beaches on Sentosa will be subject to capacity limits and those who wish to visit over weekends and public holidays will need to book their spots.

As crowds and queues have been forming during peak periods, these latest measures are part of efforts to enhance guest experience, the Sentosa Development Corporation (SDC) said in a press release on Wednesday (Sept 23).

The island’s beaches — namely Tanjong, Palawan and Siloso — will be segmented into a total of seven zones, each to accommodate between 100 and 350 people.

Visitors who wish to go to these beaches during weekend and public holiday peak periods will need to make online reservations before they are allowed entry. Reservations can be made through Sentosa's website.

The beach entry booking system will be on trial for 3 months, SDC said, and will it start accepting bookings from Oct 10, for visits from Oct 17 onwards.

Pre-bookings may be made up to seven days before intended beach visits, and visitors may choose from two time slots: 8am to 1pm or 2pm to 7pm.

Other safe distancing rules, such as a maximum of five people for each booking will also apply.

Visitors who want to use any of the 15 beach courts (for example, for beach volleyball) may make bookings for these facilities online. For this, separate reservations to enter the beach will not be needed because it will be granted as part of the booking for the courts.

SDC highlighted that the island’s beaches will be closed 7pm to 8am daily.

It said that it will monitor visitor behaviour and feedback, review the reservation and redemption process regularly, and make adjustments where necessary.

Entry to the beaches on weekdays will not require advance reservation, but will be subject to capacity limits.

SDC’s chief executive officer Thien Kwee Eng said: “The launch of a reservation-only beach entry during peak periods will help us ensure that Sentosa remains safe for all guests and staff... We also seek the cooperation of our guests to continue being socially responsible so that Sentosa continues to be a place where all visitors will have an enjoyable experience.”