PW Sept 09 P28-30:PW Sept 09 P28-30.qxd 26/08/2009 13:26 Page 28
Park Profile
Happy Valley Shanghai
& Chengdu
OCT brings happiness to new markets Shanghai
China’s largest park chain
just got a little bit bigger.
Since last month, the OCT H
appy Valley Shanghai, the largest park to and, because it’s a natural tourism resort, it’s one of
date, opened last month after a number of the main places for the people to spend their leisure
teething troubles and a typhoon that plagued time.”
Group’s Happy Valley the planned grand opening. Located in the Sheshan A brand new subway line whisks guests from the city
brand can be found in district, one of 10 national tourism resorts, the RMB2 centre to such serenity in just 20 minutes, from where
four cities and provinces, billion ($293m/Euro.186207m) park occupies a picturesque it’s a 10-minute bus ride to the park gates. Convenient
and plans have already 90-hectare site offering high-octane thrills amidst not just for Shanghai’s 18 or so million residents, the
been announced for a spectacular natural views. area is also around one hour from both Hangzhou
fifth. Park World profiles In recent years OCT Tourism has made a name for and Suzhou, multi-million population cities in their own
the two newest additions itself building parks that take full advantage of their right. “It’s a very good market, and a very good
to the portfolio, Chengdu surroundings and the company’s vice-president Wang location,” confirms Wang.
and Shanghai Gang says Sheshan offered the perfect canvas for This is not OCT’s first attempt at building a park in
Happy Valley number four: “The area features the only Shanghai. In 1996, before it had opened the first
hill in Shanghai, it’s located close to the Yangtze River Happy Valley in its home city of Shenzhen, the group
began negotiations with the local government but
B&M’s Dive Machine in Shanghai
abandoned its plans after learning another park was
under construction. Since then OCT has been able to
refine its product in Shenzhen, Beijing and Chengdu
and constructed in Shanghai what is arguably a more
accomplished project than it might have achieved a
decade ago.
Yet while Happy Valley is the city’s first world-class
amusement park, it won’t have the market to itself for
long. Next year the hotly-anticipated Expo 2010
Shanghai takes place, with the bold mission of
attracting 70 million guests in six months, and rumours
continue regarding Disneyland’s arrival.
Strategic Lead
Wang expects such activity to stimulate the local tourist
market, in much the same way as has in Orlando, and
looks forward to working with other attractions on joint
marketing initiatives. ”Each of these projects has its
own characteristics,” he says, “but there is also some
overlap. I think we can co-operate and create a new
28 SEPTEMBER 2009
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