A joint venture between the hospitality-to-property conglomerate Shun Tak Holdings and AJ Hackett International has secured the contract for the development and management of a new adventure zone within the Ocean Park, the operator of the Hong Kong theme park announced on Monday.
“We are thrilled to collaborate with Shun Tak Holdings and the AJ Hackett International group to bring a new realm of outdoor entertainment experiences for both the people of Hong Kong and visitors from all around the world,” Paulo Pong, chairman of Ocean Park Corporation, said in preparatory remarks.
This upcoming area, named the Adventure Zone, “promises to be a blend of exhilarating adventure-themed attractions with breathtaking views of nature, complemented with education and sustainable development practices,” Pong added.
The consortium will be “responsible for the design, financing, construction, operation and maintenance of the new zone,” with additional details set to be unveiled later this week, the Ocean Park Corporation said in a Monday press release.
Separately, Shun Tak, led by Macau magnate Pansy Ho Chiu King, disclosed in a filing with the Hong Kong stock exchange the potential benefits of this new venture.
“In recent years, [Shun Tak] has been making continuous efforts in seeking new business opportunities in cultural tourism projects and developing the strategy of ‘tourism +’ to foster growth in its hospitality businesses,” said the company, engaged in transport, property, and hospitality sectors in Macau, Hong Kong, and beyond.
“Leveraging on Ocean Park’s iconic brand and long-lasting popularity as a premier tourist destination in Hong Kong, [this new project] is expected to further diversify [Shun Tak]’s business portfolio, creating synergies and growth to its operations and potentially bringing long-term financial returns to the shareholders of the company,” the filing said.
Operating services such as the TurboJET ferry between Macau and Hong Kong, the shuttle service for the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge, and managing properties like the Grand Coloane Resort, Grand Lapa Macau, One Central Shopping Mall, and others in the city, Shun Tak recorded a loss of HK$428 million (US$55 million/MOP440.7 million) in the first half of 2024.
The plan for the new Adventure Zone at Ocean Park arose after the park operator requested HK$10.64 billion from the Hong Kong government in 2020 for a significant renovation, in response to financial challenges stemming from dwindling visitor numbers in recent years and the Covid-19 pandemic.
According to the information released by the Ocean Park in 2021, the new Adventure Zone, spanning about 125,000 square metres, is planned for the upper region of the park and will be constructed on the existing Adventure Land site.
The theme park operator also expressed confidence on Monday in the collaboration between Shun Tak and AJ Hackett International, a renowned adventure tourism firm recognised for its flagship brand Skypark by AJ Hackett in Macau, Singapore, Australia, and other destinations. The operator cited the successful partnerships between the two entities in introducing activities such as bungee jumping, “Skywalk,” and “Tower Climb” at Macau Tower.
Covering over 915,000 square metres of land, Ocean Park, inaugurated in 1977, is owned by the Hong Kong government through the financially autonomous Ocean Park Corporation.
