Ocean Park opens Water World to revive business, eyes international visitors

Ocean Park officially opens Water World today as the management of the park and the Hong Kong government hope the venue will become a favourite leisure destination of locals and international visitors in the years to come. Water World spans nearly 6.5 hectares of a Tai Shue Wan hillside in Southern district. It caters to a maximum of 4,500 visitors during the opening period, operating at half capacity under COVID-19 pandemic rules.

Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor officiated the opening ceremony yesterday and said Water World was world-class and worthy of Hongkongers' pride as it boasts a unique design and high-level architecture. According to the South China Morning Post, Lam said she believed that Water World will become the favourite leisure and entertainment destination for Hong Kong people and a new attraction for foreign tourists in the future. It can also enrich Hong Kong's tourism resources. 

Lau, Ming-wai, chairman of Ocean Park Corporation, added, “The opening of Water World means a lot to Ocean Park as it marks the first step in our transformation into a world-class resort for discovery, learning and fun. It also marks a milestone for the ‘Invigorating Island South’ initiative, where we are playing a key role in bringing new elements and new economic driving forces to the Southern District."

Ocean Park said Water World's unique location and concept make it "the only water park in Asia that combines stunning ocean views and landscape." Water World takes advantage of the site, using terraced platforms and outdoor areas to capture the panoramic views of its surroundings. It added that Water World's all-weather design, together with its proximity to Hong Kong’s urban centre, makes it easy for visitors to visit and get in touch with the wonders of water and nature.

Water World is part of Ocean Park's revamp and is expected to help drive Ocean Park's business.

The debt-stricken theme park issued a pre-qualification invitation to solicit potential partners to co-develop the park through a build-operate-transfer model in August, kicking off the two-phase procurement process for the implementation of the future strategy of Ocean Park.

This process begins with the current pre-qualification stage and will be followed by the tender stage in late 2021 or early 2022. The pre-qualification exercise will help pre-qualify respondents for the tender process, maintaining a manageable number of bidders while ensuring that they share Ocean Park’s vision on future development, conservation and education, as well as having the requisites to deliver the development proposals of the future strategy.

In a statement, Ocean Park said bidders seeking pre-qualification are encouraged to integrate a number of principles into the zones’ concept design, operations or other offerings. For example, they are encouraged to be environmentally responsible and enhance animal welfare in line with Ocean Park’s objectives; and to accomplish sustainable operational excellence through various initiatives, such as water conservation, waste management and recycling and sustainable procurement processes.

Meanwhile, in August, Ocean Park retired The Raging River water ride, the Mine Train roller coaster and the Abyss drop tower after serving visitors of the park for more than 20 years. Undeterred by the rain, visitors queued for up to three hours taking photos and videos to commemorate the rides. Meanwhile, in another report from nowTV news channel, a visitor said she was looking forward to the new development plan announced by Ocean Park and hoped it will become better in the future. 

Related articles
Ocean Park bids farewell to 3 rides, consumers flock to premise to show love
Ocean Park calls for tender to co-develop venue as part of future strategy
Ocean Park names Ivan Wong Chi-fai new chief executive