Skyline plans expansion in UK, South Korea

Skyline Enterprise's luge at Sentosa in Singapore provides 1.2 million luge rides every year. Photo / Supplied

Skyline Enterprises is looking at options to expand its international luge and gondola attractions to Wales in the UK and establish a third luge in South Korea, in Seoul.

Skyline's chairman Mark Quickfall said although the proposed developments were still in the early stages of investigation, an attraction at Swansea in Wales would be the company's first European destination.

"The facility would comprise a gondola system, luge tracks, chairlift, zipline and restaurant on Kilvey Hill," Quickfall said.

No investment costs were disclosed for either Swansea or the Seoul developments.

However, Quickfall said Skyline's first facility to open in South Korea was the $20 million Skyline Luge Tongyeong, opened earlier this year, plus the company had announced plans to establish Skyline Luge Busan in South Korea's second-largest city, costing $22m.

He said the local authorities and businesses in Swansea and Seoul had been "very receptive" to the proposals.

The Tongyeong luge, which opened in February, had hosted a total of 1.51 million rides, while the Singaporean operation attracted 1.2 million luge rides every year.

"The ride is popular with the Korean market as it is adventurous without being too extreme," Quickfall said.

He believed Skyline Luge Tongyeong was the largest direct capital investment into South Korea by a New Zealand company.

As part of its overall expansion plans there had been a recent $14m upgrade of Skyline's 12-year-old Skyline Luge Sentosa in Singapore, including two new luge tracks and a new four-seat chairlift.

- Skyline is spending about $100m redeveloping its Queenstown gondola, luge and restaurant site.