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Animals at Hong Kong’s Ocean Park face uncertain future as pandemic keeps attraction closed
Source:
https://scmp.com/comment/letters/article/3106271/ocean-park-forget-fancy-plans-and-focus-being-hong-kong-theme-park Letters
Ocean Park: forget fancy plans and focus on being Hong Kong theme park
- Instead of rebranding as a performance arena or sports hub, or yet another fine dining and shopping destination, Ocean Park should focus on improving the theme park experience – and let every Hongkonger have a say in its future
Visitors enjoy a ride on the roller coaster at Ocean Park on September 18, the day the theme park reopened after being shut for two months over Covid-19 social distancing measures in Hong Kong. Photo: K.Y. Cheng
I write in response to Brian Y.S. Wong’s suggestions about the development and revitalisation of Hong Kong’s struggling Ocean Park (“How to save Ocean Park”, October 18). To restore the theme park to its past glory, we must first correctly diagnose the problem.
First, while it is true that Hong Kong is running out of venues for street performances, their audiences are not like concert goers who are more likely to pay to enjoy a performance. These are passers-by who stop to appreciate the music, dance or magic tricks in the middle of a shopping spree or on their way to somewhere else. Besides, it is doubtful how much space is available within the park for a large performance venue, and how affordable the rent would be for such buskers.
The suggestion that a free-entry performance space near the park entrance would attract more visitors is also of questionable feasibility, as there is little guarantee that people would want to enter the paid area after watching a show.
Secondly, Ocean Park should not make fine dining and retail an attraction. Food is not a primary focus when one is visiting a theme park and gourmet restaurants are not what most park visitors are eager to discover. They would rather seize the time and dash to different rides and galleries. Similarly, shopping is a side dish for such a venue. As for the wealthy, “high-net-worth individuals”, there are already too many other easily accessible places in the city to dine in and shop at.
Thirdly, the park needs to be properly positioned. It may lose its uniqueness if it is developed as a shopping and sporting complex. The park should not be allowed to become a hub for the privileged few either. If Disneyland is an American park with a local focus, Ocean Park should strive to be a Hong Kong park with a global vision.
Let every Hongkonger be engaged in shaping the future of the park, so that it continues to foster local identity while appealing to an international audience. We should also be inspired by successes in theme parks elsewhere and introduce different cultural elements to Ocean Park.
Where possible, the Ocean Park experience can be enriched by technology, such as artificially intelligent interactivity. Making sure that Ocean Park attracts the right visitors is key to its continued survival.
John Ng, Lai Chi Kok