The chairman of Hong Kong’s Ocean Park has said its Water World facility lost about HK$200 million (US$25.7 million) in the last financial year, as he was grilled in the legislature over the state of his organisation’s finances despite a five-year high in attendance numbers.
The tourism minister on Tuesday rejected calls for authorities to take over the management of Water World after a series of sharp exchanges in the legislature and said any suggestions Ocean Park would go bankrupt without government help were simply “personal opinions”.
The park’s financial health was under the spotlight in an economic development panel meeting at the Legislative Council, with lawmaker Michael Tien Puk-sun asking Ocean Park chairman Paulo Pong Kin-yee whether the theme park could sustain itself after the government’s annual funding of about HK$280 million expired in 2026.
“This year, your operating loss was offset by the government’s annual funding of HK$280 million,” Tien said.
He said Ocean Park had posted a deficit of about HK$200 million before accounting for the government money.
“As I understand, all of your land-based activities, including conservation, are already able to break even, so the government’s HK$280 million is really just to cover losses from Water World … Am I understanding this correctly?” Tien said.
