By Lailany P.
Gomez | Posted on May. 14, 2013 at 12:01am |
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manilastandardtoday.com ]
Enchanted
Kingdom Inc., operator of the country’s largest theme park, will double its
site in Laguna province and offer more attractions to draw more local and
foreign visitors, a company executive said.
Enchanted
Kingdom chief operating officer Cynthia Mamon said the company was looking at
doubling its current 15-hectare site to at least 30 hectares over the next
three to five years.
“We’re doing
the masterplan for now. We are designing it already so as soon as the designs
are made before the end of the year, then we’re ready,” Mamon told reporters in
an interview.
She said the
expansion would include a hotel and more rides.
“Definitely
the expansion plan is gradual. The plans should be made by this year and we
should have a one major attraction next year. This one is really something
we’re very proud of,” she said.
Mamon said
the hotel would be built in the next two to three years. “Development is
phasing and will take like three to five years,” she said.
She did not
provide details on how much the Filipino-owned corporation would invest for the
expansion program, but said the company was open to partnerships and joint
ventures.
“I cannot
divulge the amount of how much we are willing to invest since we’re still
designing. We’re still doing the layout, what rides we will put, how big the
hotel is, so we don’t have any figures yet,” she said.
The park,
which was built at a cost of P1.2 billion, opened to the public in October
1995.
Mamon said
the theme park had been attracting an average of two million visitors, mostly
locals, annually. “We need to do more to
attract foreign tourists,” she said.
Enchanted
Kingdom is a member of the International Association of Amusement Parks and
Attractions, where Enchanted Kingdom chairman and president Mario Mamon serves
as first vice chairman.
The
Philippine Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions and the IAAPA
convened the PhilAAPA Safety Institute for Amusement Parks and Attractions in
April to create and heighten the awareness for safety and the establishment of
standards in the amusement and attractions industry.
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