(26 April 2012, Hong Kong) Ocean Park today broke its annual attendance record by reaching the 6 million level for the first time in its 35-year history, marking the eighth time in the past nine years that a new attendance record will be set when the fiscal year ends at the end of June. This year’s momentum was so strong that the old record was broken with an unprecedented 9 weeks left in the current fiscal year. With the recent launch of Old Hong Kong and the Hong Kong Jockey Club Sichuan Treasures, Ocean Park has seen a 25% increase in local guests and a 15% increase in guests from outside Hong Kong. To recognise the community for its loyal support, Ocean Park will allocate HK$6 million to Ocean Park Academy, Hong Kong (OPAHK) in support of its diverse educational programmes for local students to nurture the younger generation of conservation advocates. A family with two generations of Park staff also shared warm memories to celebrate Mother’s Day in advance. During the upcoming Mother’s Day period, Ocean Park will offer a wide range of exclusive promotions for families, including the first-ever free offer of behind-the-scenes tours, classes on DIY Mother’s Day cake, and more.
Dr. Allan Zeman, Chairman of Ocean Park, said “Our popularity during this year has once again shown Ocean Park to be the region’s premier family edutainment and travel destination. During the first ten months of this fiscal year, every completed month was a record-breaking month. The recently opened Old Hong Kong and the Hong Kong Jockey Club Sichuan Treasures, which showcased our commitment to offering an immersive combination of conservation, education and entertainment for families, are particularly popular. We also take delight in the fact that local families are visiting the Park to help us celebrate our 35th anniversary, as over 35,000 local guests have already taken advantage of our various 35th anniversary promotions.”
Dr. Zeman added, “In acknowledgement of the importance of conservation education for our ongoing success, Ocean Park is allocating HK$6 million to OPAHK in support of its educational programmes over a period of three years. And to express our gratitude for the loyal support of the community, we are offering free behind-the-scenes tours for the first time to help local families who come to the park to celebrate the upcoming Mother’s Day. As just one option, local guests can enjoy the Rainforest Ed-venture* for an up-close encounter with our lovely marmoset family.”
Ms. Suzanne Gendron, Ocean Park’s Executive Director of Zoological Operations and Education, who received the allocation on behalf of OPAHK, said, “Ocean Park was founded on the principle of education and this allocation towards education will be used to strengthen the educational content and appeal of exhibits through research into conservation issues and surveys of various key audience segments. This will help us better influence the public in changing their behaviour to support the conservation of wildlife and habitats.”
Mr. Philip Yung, Commissioner for Tourism, joined Dr. Zeman in welcoming Mrs. Or, this year’s 6 millionth guest, who was visiting the Park with her parents-in-law and two children. Mrs. Or, said, “Visiting Ocean Park has long been a part of our family tradition. It is triply meaningful to bring my parents-in-law to visit Old Hong Kong to immerse themselves in the golden period of Hong Kong between the 1950s and 1970s, introduce the younger generation to the wonderful world of conservation and help Ocean Park set a new attendance record at the same time. We look forward to making more wonderful memories at Ocean Park year after year.”
Mrs. Or, being the record-breaking guest, will receive a Lifetime VIP Pass while her accompanying family members will each receive a complimentary Smartfun Annual Pass. The entire family was treated to a behind-the-scene tour of the Rainforest. They will also receive Häagen-Dazs® ice-cream coupons, as well as cash coupons from Kee Wah Bakery. Moreover, they will enjoy a sumptuous dinner in the VIP room of Neptune’s Restaurant.
Over its 35-year history, Ocean Park has welcomed families not only as guests, but also as staff members. The Hui family is just one example of a family with multiple members working at Ocean Park. Mr. Hui, now serving as a Senior Cable Car Controller, has worked at Ocean Park since the day it opened; his wife, Anita, a 31-year veteran herself, works as a Cash Control Supervisor. Anita said, “Since Ocean Park has witnessed the growth of our family, we have a lot of wonderful memories here. Even though we work at Ocean Park, we still spend a lot of our holidays with our son Ivan here because it is a unique leisure destination for families in Hong Kong. Indeed, Ivan has grown to love marine animals so much that he has joined us at Ocean Park as a Marine Mammal Trainee.”
To offer the public the warmest ways of expressing their heartfelt thanks to moms, Ocean Park has prepared a series of retail and dining offers for the Mother’s Day period. Guests looking for the perfect Mother’s Day gift would do well to consider a new twin-heart photo frame available at a special redemption price and a series of premium jewelleries available at 20% discount at Aqua City Crafts**. Ocean Park is also bringing back “Nine Big Bowls”, wildly popular when it was introduced briefly during the initial launch of Old Hong Kong, for families to celebrate Mother’s Day with a heart-warming traditional feast. Neptune’s Restaurant and Café Ocean will also offer a special Mother’s Day Menu. For dessert, the entire family can learn how to make a heart-shaped DIY Mother’s Day Cake for a sweet celebration#.
