'Ocean Park should try to win back local patronage'

A tourism professor said on Thursday that Ocean Park should try out different plans to win back the local patronage now as doing it while operating at 50 percent capacity is easier.

Professor Brian King from Polytechnic University's School of Hotel and Tourism Management said the park management is running out of time and all they have been able to do is planning a revamp.

The cash-strapped park is set to reopen on Friday as government eased some Covid-19 restrictions but its management had sounded a warning that it will need more government help to stay afloat next year.

It was given a multi billion dollar cash aid earlier this year and come up with a revamp plan to boost the visitors.

"They have been open only for 52 days this whole year and we have got about three months left," said King. "They really haven't be able to do much more than planning."

"This gives them a chance to green 'stayaction' and so on to do a bit of trialing of new ideas that connects them strongly with the southern district."

The professor said local theme parks should try woo the local population to tide over the present crisis.

"Hongkongers make up, say with Disney, 40 percent of the patronage. So if it is 50 percent of capacity, Hongkongers can pretty much fill the spaces."

(Source: RTHK)