China’s largest marine theme park operator banks on Japanese anime to lure local tourists post-Covid

A new themed area at the Shanghai Haichang Ocean Park, based on the Japanese animated series One Piece, opened on Saturday to huge fanfare
The Hong Kong-listed company is betting on foreign IPs to draw domestic tourists who are flocking to local attractions in a flurry of ‘revenge spending’

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Daniel Renin Shanghai

Published: 9:00pm, 11 Jun 2023

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Haichang Ocean Park Holdings, mainland China’s largest marine theme park operator, is banking on international intellectual property (IP) to lure domestic tourists eager to travel after the country ended its zero-Covid strategy.

The company, which runs nearly a dozen parks across China, has noticed a growing appetite among local consumers for foreign IPs such as the hit Japanese anime and comics series One Piece, Zhang Jianbin, executive president of Haichang, said at a media event in Shanghai on Saturday.

“We understand that Chinese consumers have been in love with some of these foreign IPs, and we will introduce more IPs [to our parks] to offer them the best experience,” he said. “Visitors to our parks will have access to attractions with different themes.”

Pudong government officials and Haichang executives celebrate the launch of a One Piece-themed venue at the Shanghai Haichang Ocean Park. Photo: Handout

The new strategy comes as the mainland’s travel industry, one of the worst-hit sectors during three years of stringent pandemic restrictions, has seen a surge of visitors after Beijing lifted pandemic travel restrictions and abandoned quarantine in January.

Some 650,000 visitors flocked to Shanghai Haichang Ocean Park, the largest of its kind in China, during the five-day Labour Day holiday in May – more than double the foot traffic in 2019 – according to the company.

The park’s new One Piece-themed zone, which features interactive shows, shops and dining options, drew thousands of fans on its opening day on Saturday, Haichang said. The hugely popular animated series created by cartoonist Eiichiro Oda, which began airing on Japan’s Fuji TV in 1999 and eventually made its way to China, has built a large Chinese fan base.

Hong Kong-listed Haichang has also introduced a similar themed zone in its park in Dalian, a coastal city in northeast China’s Liaoning province, where the company is headquartered.

The One Piece attractions followed the addition of an Ultraman-themed venue at Haichang’s Shanghai park last July, based on the Japanese TV superhero.

Visitors pose for photos outside the Disney Resort theme park in Shanghai. Photo: AP Photo

“Disneyland and Haichang Ocean Park are among the best-known tourist destinations in Shanghai and will benefit from the revival of the travel industry,” said Li Wenjie, CEO of Shanghai Yaheng International Travel agency.

“It is advisable for Haichang to expand its IP portfolio as a way to sustain business growth in the future,” Li said. “After all, ‘revenge spending’ will not last forever.”

Haichang said it will keep its ticket prices unchanged at 399 yuan (US$56) for now, while Shanghai Disneyland will raise its regular ticket price by 9.2 per cent to 475 yuan from June 23, ahead of the peak summer season.

Shanghai’s tourism authorities, determined to bolster the sector’s role as one of the major drivers of the local economy, have promised to offer more attractions to lure visitors.

China’s first self-built cruise, the 323-metre-long Magic City, is currently being tested. It is expected to set sail on its maiden voyage from Shanghai later this year.