Interview
Asia’s first Legoland theme park, and the sixth worldwide, opens its gates on September 15. Located in Nusajaya, the 76-acre park has been realised in partnership with Merlin Entertainments as an integral part of Themed Attractions And Resorts’ plan for the Iskandar region. Featured across seven themed areas will be more than 40 interactive rides, shows and attractions, which will be complemented in the next two years by a themed waterpark and Legoland Hotel. With opening day just weeks away, Owen Ralph talks to Legoland Malaysia general manager Siegfried Boerst
Legoland Malaysia
Why did you choose Malaysia, in particular Nusajaya, for the first Legoland in Asia? Merlin Entertainments’ strategy was to expand into Asia given its growing affluence and strong tourism market. The market here is less saturated when it comes to quality branded entertainment and this was a good entry point for us. The right opportunity knocked on our door with the Nusajaya development and Merlin signed the management agreement with Iskandar Investments Berhad (IIB). The proximity to Singapore was essential as it’s a major tourist destination for both international and regional travellers. The strong backing from the government also ensured good infrastructure was in place and this is a crucial to a large scale project such as this.
How does this park compare to other Legolands around the world? Legoland Malaysia has a strong resemblance to Legoland Deutschland. As with all our new projects, we always incorporate best practices from all our previous projects so you can expect Legoland Malaysia to be among the best in terms of layout, rides, facilities and attractions. A good example is Miniland – this heart of all Legoland parks around the world. As the first in Asia, we created 17 areas unique to this part of the world. The structures are built entirely from Lego bricks and we have set a record for the tallest building in a Legoland park – the Petronas Towers, which stand at 10m tall and use approximately half a million bricks.
What special considerations have you had to make at this park? We had to consider the weather conditions. As Malaysia has a tropical climate, we made sure the environment is comfortable for families to spend their day here. We planted almost 4,000 large trees to provide natural shade and taken care to cover areas such waiting lines and play areas. We will also be the first park to be completely operational at night. We made good investments for the lighting to ensure our visitors enjoy a full day without worrying about sunset.
What were the challenges of construction? We signed the management agreement in December 2008, with ground breaking exactly one year later. We are already opening ahead of schedule and this is an achievement for us given the challenges that are typical to large scale construction. Our original projected date for opening was closer to the end of the year.
How did you determine the right pricing for the local market? We undertook a number of researches to determine the purchase power of the local market as well as average salariesin and around the region prior to deciding the pricing. Our primary target is families with
26
children between the ages of 2 to 12 and we wanted to give them an international theme park experience, while at the same time offering value for money.
How far do you expect guests will travel? Our current target evens out between resident market (Johor and Singapore), domestic tourist (the rest of Malaysia) and regional and international tourists. We hope to chart good growth especially in the last segment once we complete the Legoland Water Park and Hotel. Our aim is to become a destination resort and position ourselves as a short holiday getaway.
How do you think Legoland will complement the other attractions in Iskandar? Legoland Malaysia is a catalytic development. Being an international brand name, we believe that we will draw attention and visitors to the area. This will help the surrounding developments.
Can we expect Merlin to develop any other attractions in Malaysia? We will be opening our Legoland Water Park in 2013 and the Hotel is scheduled for 2014. Apart from two developments, we are also actively looking to expand in the Asia-Pacific region. We have earmarked some sites in Korea and Japan, and will update as soon as we have some concrete details to share.
legoland.com.my
Read an extended version of this interview at
pakrworld-online.com
Lego-themed fun
Open 12 months a year, Legoland Malaysia is projected to attract one million visitors during its first year of operation. Highlights of the park include the Dragon, Dragon’s Apprentice and Project X rollercoasters, Dino Island water ride, Lost Kingdom interactive dark ride, Legoland Express, Driving School, Boating School, Aquazone Wave Racers and an Intamin observation tower. At the heart of it all is Miniland, featuring Lego replicas of local landmarks including Petronas Towers, Kuala Lumpur International Airport and the Putrajaya Mosque, plus buildings from Singapore, China and India.
AUGUST 2012
ABOVE: Siegfried Boerst
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45