New Shanghai Ocean Park hoping to glean some of Disney’s magic and net 5 million visitors a year

Creator Haichang Ocean Park being seen as playing important role in cementing city’s plan to become a world-class tourist destination

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A boy looks at a polar bear at Qingdao Haichang Polar Ocean World in Qingdao city, China's Shandong province. Photo: Simon Song

Published: 6:15pm, 27 Mar 2018Updated: 10:27pm, 27 Mar 2018

Haichang Ocean Park Holdings, the mainland’s largest marine theme park operator, is targeting annual attendance of five million visitors at its soon-to-open venue in Shanghai, buoyed by the rising affluence of people living in the Yangtze River Delta region.

Wang Xuguang, chief executive of the Hong Kong-listed company which is based in the northern Chinese city of Dalian, told South China Morning Post that estimate was based on a joint assessment with local tourism authorities on entertainment demands.

“We previously eyed three million visitors a year, but after further study into market demand and consumer spending power, we think that was an underestimate,” he said. “The success of Shanghai Disneyland has also inspired us to set a higher target.”

A tourist poses with Disney characters wearing Chinese traditional dress at Shanghai Disney Resort. Photo: Xinhua

Trials are due to start at the park in August before it officially opens to the public in late September.

Its creation is viewed as the latest part of Shanghai’s ongoing plan to build itself into a world-class tourist destination.

Shanghai municipality is keen to create synergies between it and the city’s Disneyland and has expanded the motorway that links the two, meaning you can drive between them in less than half and hour.

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New Shanghai Ocean Park hoping to glean some of Disney’s magic and net 5 million visitors a year

Creator Haichang Ocean Park being seen as playing important role in cementing city’s plan to become a world-class tourist destination.css-jfmysa{display:inline;word-break:break-word;}.css-1ankfgb{cursor:pointer;display:inline;word-break:break-word;}

Creator Haichang Ocean Park being seen as playing important role in cementing city’s plan to become a world-class tourist destination