Ocean Park visitor numbers predicted to plummet even if billions of dollars are spent bailing it out, official figures show

Officials say number of people expected to pass through theme park’s gates over most of next 10 years will be lower than in the five years before Covid-19

But analysts say focusing on quality over quantity and getting people to spend more money could see attraction’s revenues improve

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Government figures show that visitor numbers at Ocean Park are expected to fall over the next decade. Photo: Winson Wong

Published: 9:11pm, 27 Jan 2021Updated: 10:59pm, 27 Jan 2021

Visitor numbers for Ocean Park are predicted to be lower for most of the coming decade than in the five years before the coronavirus pandemic hit Hong Kong, even if billions of dollars are spent to bail it out.

But analysts said a business strategy that encouraged people to spend money mattered more than the number of visitors who passed through the park’s gates.

The number of non-local visitors to Ocean Park, excluding its new Water World, is also expected to fall to between 1.7 million and 1.8 million in the financial years from 2027 to 2031 – less than half of the average of 3.92 million recorded from 2015 to 2019 – despite an expected recovery in global tourism.

The government’s forecast came after the 44-year-old park, which was given a HK$5.4 billion (US$696.6 million) bailout last year, unveiled its plan last Monday to seek another HK$2.8 billion in taxpayer cash to stay afloat and launch new initiatives, such as revamping its business model by charging fees for individual attractions rather than a single entrance fee.

Revealing the estimates in a Legislative Council document on Wednesday, officials also predicted the resort’s revenue, excluding the Water World which is expected to open in August at the earliest, would only exceed previous levels by 2026-27, based on prudent predictions.