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SCMP, November 15, 2002

By Felix Chan

Good weather and a rise in the number of mainland tourists have helped boost visitor numbers to Ocean Park by 500,000 in the past year, management said.

The amusement park reported an operating surplus of $15 million for the year ended June 30 - its first in five years.

The result compared with a combined loss of $212.7 million over the past four years.

Attendance increased 23 per cent from 2.8 million to 3.3 million people, despite the introduction of higher entry fees in July last year.

Visitors, who account for about 40 per cent of takings, surged 47 per cent, the majority of them from the mainland. The number of Hong Kong patrons also rose 11 per cent.

The park's deputy general manager, Matthias Li Shing-chung, said the relaxation of entry rules for mainlanders since the start of the year had played a big role in boosting numbers.

Good weather in July and August had also helped.

'During the past fiscal year we were lucky enough to have good weather on 71 per cent of peak days compared to 59 per cent the previous year,' he said.

Mr Li also said marketing initiatives, such as Saturday night summer carnivals and the Halloween Bash, had helped boost numbers, especially among teenagers.

He said the momentum was continuing this fiscal year, with last month's Halloween Bash pulling in more than 340,000 revellers, a record for October.

The park's assistant director of zoological operations and education, Timothy Ng Sau-kin, said work was under way on a new hall featuring dinosaur exhibits.

The hall, which is expected to be ready for visitors by early next year, is part of the $35 million ongoing renovation and expansion of the park.

*Read the main news section of SCMP for more on this topic.

Glossary

boost (v) to help or encourage something to grow

Example: Halting the Home Ownership Scheme, which began in 1978, was one of nine measures announced by the government in a bid to boost the property market. (SCMP, November 15, 2002)

Do not mix up with the verb boast. Boast means to speak of something with excessive pride.

Example: Modelled on 18th-century gentlemen's clubs in London, the Tower Club enjoyed its heyday in the 1990s when it boasted more than 1,500 well-heeled members. (SCMP, November 13, 2002)

surplus (n) remaining profit after subtracting operating expenses, taxes, interest and insurance

surge (v) to rise

patron (n) customer

carnival (n) a festival of public revelry

bash (n) a party; a celebration

under way (phrase) in progress

Discussion points

- Why was there an increase of mainland visitors to Ocean Park?

- Have you been to Ocean Park? When was your last visit? Which sections of the park have you visited?

- Do you like the theme park? Which part(s) do you like the most and why?

- Do you think Hong Kong should have different theme parks? What do we need to promote Hong Kong's tourism? Why?

- Draft a full-page advertisement in English for your dream theme park. Imagine the advert is to be placed in Young Post. Think about your target audience. For example, who do you want to attract to Hong Kong and why? From which countries? What age groups? What is their expenditure pattern?

*e-mail: ypost@scmp.com



Ocean Park posts profit on back of big crowds