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Ocean Park seeks HKD$10 Billion Govt. Bailout

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  1. #41

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    Original Post Deleted
    How is it financed when it's closed? I assume they would reduce costs off-season, by hiring mostly seasonal workers, but there would still require maintenance over the closed season.

  2. #42

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    Quote Originally Posted by Hoista:
    How is it financed when it's closed? I assume they would reduce costs off-season, by hiring mostly seasonal workers, but there would still require maintenance over the closed season.
    Here you go, a link to a 50+ page guide of how to maintain your water park in the off season:

    http://aftersales.whitewaterwest.com...aintenance.pdf

  3. #43

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    In New Braunfels, Texas, there is an old -- and in my opinion the world's best -- waterpark called Schlitterbahn. The use the natural contours of the shady hills and cold spring water of the Comal River for the rides in the old park.


    There's also a city run chute that goes around a dam, for free.

    Hong Kong could do this very well, too. I say we convert catch waters into public, free water chutes. Heck, we can do that with just a few million. We could also do rodelbahns very well, too.

    I'm a big fan of rides and theme parks. But Hong Kong is a city with many suffering people from a harsh reality. I think we need to take a step back and ensure a better quality of life for all citizens before we can tinker with pricey theme parks that are not financially accessible to all.

    China -- with more space -- has built many theme parks, and could offer this "service" for Hong Kong. Unfortunately, for them "theme park" means imprisoning and poorly caring for animals, even some taken from the wild. For me, they are absolutely not an option for entertainment or a fun weekend. I think Chimelong is evil.

    In Hong Kong, the setup with Disney is in my view an atrocity. Ocean Park, at least to me, seems to be a more genuine Hong Kong brand, granted they need to move on from the whole animal show business. They also need to set an example for China's parks. Perhaps even their loss of revenue stems from a growing distaste for caged animals (that are not being rehabilitated like at Kadoorie).

    I personally would like to see Disney scraped and that whole area rebuilt as a new residential community, while taking the savings and putting it back into the community for practical needs like hospitals and doctors.

    https://www.nbtexas.org/1438/City-Tu...he-Comal-River

    China's Marine Park Boom Is Driving the Capture of Whales and Dolphins | TakePart

    Coolboy, Skyhook and Fiona in HKG like this.

  4. #44
    Quote Originally Posted by Coolboy:
    Back to topic, and here is a more serious question, what should Ocean Park do to get back on it's feet, assuming we still want the Park to be around?
    Looking at the numbers, Ocean Park was #20 in the world 2018 in terms of visitors (5.8 Million). That's pretty huge, and that should be enough to run a profitable business. Running a theme park is no easy business though and it requires constant attention and updates. The best parks have new attractions and rides constantly, and close old ones to keep people interested.

    However, I assume both Disney and Ocean Park will suffer considerably from both the drop in tourists, and the locals having better things to do in the weekends. If the finances were already a bit shaky (and who has a spare 10B lying around anyway, except Disney) then I can totally see that a year like 2019 would push you over the edge.

    So my plan would be:
    - get rid of old rides and attractions and innovate.
    - spend a crapload on marketing
    - P̶r̶a̶y̶ ̶t̶o̶ ̶v̶a̶r̶i̶o̶u̶s̶ ̶g̶o̶d̶s̶ ̶o̶f̶ ̶y̶o̶u̶r̶ ̶b̶e̶l̶i̶e̶f̶ ̶s̶y̶s̶t̶e̶m̶ that tourism will pick up. No wait, better: lobby with the government and make them understand that by trying to repress your way into authority, you scare away both domestic and foreign tourists and investors. Tell them to stop teargassing and beating up people, and find a way out of the mess they got themselves into.

    Just money is not going to fix this mess.

  5. #45

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    There's also a city run chute that goes around a dam, for free.
    Please do not apply for a marketing or urban planning or policy job with the HKSAR.

  6. #46

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    Even on this site, where the composition of forumers are slightly more aligned than the general public, there is such a diversed view on how OP has to be managed..

    imagine you head to legco where the role of many of the members is to make government life difficult and vice versa, the issue will never be resolved and it will just drag on and on.. regardless of whether there are money or not...

    problem with hk now is, over these minor little things, the government just has no more courage to make a move ahead.. even if there are just 10 people shouting something should be done or should not be done, the government is stuck listening to them and it will just be inaction followed by inaction...


  7. #47

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    Quote Originally Posted by Hoista:
    Waterpark is not practical in seasonal weather. it would have to close for a quarter of the year, since running heated water or building it indoors is much more costly to run. The climate isn't quite right for a waterpark in Hong Kong.
    chimelong waterpark in guangzhou, don't seem to have a problem, anyway, 3 months from 12 months ain't that much

  8. #48

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    Quote Originally Posted by freeier:
    Even on this site, where the composition of forumers are slightly more aligned than the general public, there is such a diversed view on how OP has to be managed..

    imagine you head to legco where the role of many of the members is to make government life difficult and vice versa, the issue will never be resolved and it will just drag on and on.. regardless of whether there are money or not...

    problem with hk now is, over these minor little things, the government just has no more courage to make a move ahead.. even if there are just 10 people shouting something should be done or should not be done, the government is stuck listening to them and it will just be inaction followed by inaction...
    That may be your narrow anti-democratic voice speaking to you again. We can fully agree that the process might be slower, but it does not have to be "never resolved". Your third paragraph speaks to the real problem. A fundamental lack of a mandate from the population means you have no source of backing against outspoken vested interests.

    You may refer to this link https://www.legitimacy.eu/types-of-p...al-legitimacy/, or my appropriated summary is "input legitimacy" = even if a system does not give people what they want, the fact that those running it reflect a democratic choice confers legitimacy. In contrast, undemocratic governments have to combine output legitimacy (giving people what they want), with repression. The comparison to how Hong Kong fell down with the extradition bill (which did not give people what they wanted at all, where peaceful protests to express their will as a safety valve) might not escape your notice.

    On the present issue at hand, you seem to also have failed to note that the unpaid posters here threw up alternative solutions (like a waterpark open several months a year) while highlighting issues of concern. Unless you're arguing otherwise, I don't think anybody was for either animal cruelty or wasting taxpayer money, so there appears to be a consensus to consider animal welfare and an economically efficient solution, with balancing the various interests in a holistic manner (such as other alternative activities for families if Ocean Park is too economically inefficient to continue to support), the happy result.

    Or you can insist that one party can bang their preferred solutions through with the aid of a bloated bureaucracy or just sit around doing nothing at all in terms of governing while blaming political realities for nothing getting done.

  9. #49
    Original Post Deleted
    This is how seasonal businesses work around the world, be it ski resorts, seaside restaurants, etc etc etc, right?
    ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

  10. #50

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    Original Post Deleted
    Totally rocket science.

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