Ocean Park is dying

The Ocean Park we all know and love is dying. 

Since its opening in  1997, it has captured the heart of generations of Hong Kongers with it being a core part of many people's childhoods. It has cemented itself as a core part of Hong Kong, attracting both locals and tourists alike. Even in Turkey, I had some friends who wanted to visit HK just for Ocean Park. It was something Hong Kongers could be proud of.

26 years on, Ocean Park is in dire shape. The number of people visiting the theme park has been decreasing ever since the high of 2014 due mostly to the opening of Chimelong Ocean Kingdom next door and hasn't been helped by the 2014 and 2019 civil unrest in the city alongside 2020's Covid-19 Lockdowns.  The park hasn't had any renovation work since its last major renovation work almost a decade ago and it's starting to become stale for a lot of people.

There was a plan to change this. They released a 10 billion dollar renovation plan, financed by the government, that aimed to reinvent ocean park. Land reclamation projects, new transport links, rebuilding entire areas. Roller coasters, restaurants, boat rides, ziplines and a whole lot more. It was a bold and ambitious plan. And when was this plan unveiled? 2020, 2 weeks before COVID-19 restrictions began. I think you can tell where this plan is heading. With travel restriction being implemented and visitor numbers collapsing, all expansion plan by ocean park was halted with their main priority being to put the park on life support As a result, instead of the original 10 Billion HKD cash injection proposed, the loan was revised into a 5.4 Billion HKD emergency bailout. As part of this, several beloved rides were closed permanently to save on maintenance costs. [You can see pictures of the original 10 billion dollar plan below. ]

3 years later, the park isn't looking good at all. Half a dozen of their rides have closed with another half dozen closing soon. This was originally part of the 10 billion dollar renovation project to make way for new attractions however with that being halted, it's just gonna lie empty for a few years. 

With the financial state of Ocean Park being abysmal and the uncertain future, Ocean Park has decided the way Ocean Park operates isn't a viable business model and made a bombshell announcement that by 2027, the Ocean Park we know won't exist anymore. Instead of a ticket entry system, the park will operate as a free entry attraction with it changing to a pay-per-ride system. In addition, parts of the existing Ocean Park will be leased out to external companies to be redeveloped as a solution to lowering risk. The masterplan calls for it to be a new entertainment and lifestyle centre of Hong Kong where Hong Konger's come to enjoy their weekend. Even this plan however is hitting problems as in the most recent business report, it showed that 0 companies put in bids to develop part of Ocean Park, leading to worries if the plan can even go forward on time or even at all. [Below is renders of how Ocean Park may look once the free entry system is introduced]