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The Board of Governors of The Applause Award, one of the most prestigious award within the amusement and theme park industry, has announced the 2012 recipient at the opening event of the IAAPA Attractions Expo last week in Orlando.
This is Ocean Park Hong Kong, located south of Hong Kong Island, which was selected to the two other nominees: Grand Parc du Puy du Fou (France) and Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk (USA). It becomes the 15th theme park to enter The Applause Award circle of winners, the first in Asia to be rewarded.
Introduced in 1980, The Applause Award is presented every two years by an international jury of a dozen professionals chaired by the Swedish amusement park Liseberg which is behind the initiative. It honors a theme park “whose management, operations and creative accomplishments have inspired the industry with foresight, originality and sound business development.”
“Ocean Park is one of the strongest parks in Asia, offering a high-value product with a unique base in the local community. Ocean Park has implemented a very courageous strategy, which has paid off with a doubling of attendance over the last few years, and a sound financial development. Ocean Park operates with a strong vision, a high sense of quality and a dedicated leadership, setting a great example for the whole industry”, said Andreas Andersen, President & CEO, Liseberg Group and Chairman of The Applause Award Board of Governors.
Ocean Park, which combines rides, entertainments, zoo and aquarium, opened its doors in 1977 and has already welcomed over 100 million visitors. To cope with the opening of Hong Kong Disneyland in 2005, the park launched a 6-years major development plan of HK$ 5.5 billion (approx €550 million/ $710 million) divided into eight phases which saw improving its infrastructures and opening many new attractions including an aquatic show, a Bolliger & Mabillard floorless roller coaster, a MACK Rides e-Powered Coaster and an Intamin River Rapids. Its annual attendance now exceeds 5 million visitors, making it one of the 10 theme parks Asia's most visited, in front its main competitor in the region.
Dr. Allan Zeman, Chairman of Ocean Park., stated : "It is a great honor for Ocean Park Hong Kong to be recognized by the Liseberg Board of Governors with the prestigious Applause Award. The people of Hong Kong could take pride in the fact that Ocean Park is the first theme park in Asia to win this coveted Applause Award, which has made it the top theme park in the world.”
“With our innovative seasonal events, dedication to conservation and culturally relevant positioning, we have recorded historical-high attendance figures from the months of July to October this year, which encourages us to work even harder to provide exceptional theme park services, while staying true to our conservation, education, and entertainment pillars in connecting our guests to nature. Looking ahead, we are also planning to introduce 3 new hotels as well as an all-season water park and resort area to continue expand our range of offerings," he said.
“We recognize the quality and values of the other institutions with whom we were judged and consider Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk and Puy du Fou to be among the very best in the industry,” added Tom Mehrmann, Chief Executive of Ocean Park. “I take great pride in the fact that Ocean Park, a homegrown theme park that belongs to the people of Hong Kong, is able to be recognized with the Applause Award in the international arena. We will uphold the values for which we were selected and evaluated, as we aspire to grow and continue to define the Park experience within the context of the industry, within Asia and within Hong Kong. I would like to express my heartfelt appreciation to the Ocean Park staff for their tremendous dedication over all of the years, as we look forward to welcoming more guests to the Park in the future.”
The Applause Award previous recipients are Dollywood (USA), Xetulul (Guatemala), Universal´s Islands of Adventure (USA), Holiday World & Splashin´Safari (USA), Busch Gardens Williamsburg (USA), Hersheypark (USA), Silver Dollar City (USA), Cedar Point (USA), Universal Studios, Florida (USA), Efteling (The Netherlands), Europa-Park (Germany), Knott´s Berry Farm (USA), EPCOT (USA), Opryland (closed in 1997, USA) and Magic Kingdom (USA).
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