Ocean Park Chairman Paulo Pong Kin-yee is on Straight Talk this week to talk everything about panda tourism and more. He says while Hong Kong is leveraging on panda economy, Ocean Park Hong Kong has more educational and conservation programs as well. The Park also sees a surge in visitors to its Water World and expects to welcome more people with its new features like the Adventure Zone.

Check out the full transcript of TVB’s Straight Talk host Dr Eugene Chan’s interview with Paulo Pong:

Chan: Welcome to Straight Talk! I'm Eugene Chan, and this evening, we're a guest of Paulo Pong, the chairman of the Board of Ocean Park Corporation. Pong has kindly invited us to Ocean Park so that we can all have a very close encounter with Hong Kong's prized panda cubs. But more about that later. Pong is a prominent figure in Hong Kong's business and cultural scene, and was awarded the Bronze Bauhinia Star Medal by the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region administration. And he has received several French knighthoods in recognition of his contributions to cultural and economic ties between France and Hong Kong. His business interests span from wine importing to the restaurant industry. He's also active in public service, including roles with the Ocean Park Conservation Foundation, the West Kowloon Cultural Park District Authority and the M+ Museum. Welcome, Paulo!

Pong: Hi, Eugene!

Chan: Paulo, you were here some three and a half years ago, and at that time you were the vice chairman. We're in the midst of the pandemic. And then you just opened up the Water Park, which is the only water theme park in Asia, and have transformed our new Ocean Park from a theme park to a tourist destination with conservation education. So, maybe you can tell our viewers what happened in the last few years, major developments for Ocean Park.

Pong: It's been a few transformative years for Ocean Park in the past two, three years. We've done a lot to enhance the experience of our visitors. Since the reopening, we have created some different experiences, from immersive experiences education program to working more on online digitally, to engage our viewers, also our customers, as well as to enhance our conservation and education projects, so that people would understand that with Ocean Park, conservation and education is now at its core. So, it's been an honor for me to take this journey with the Ocean Park as well as our board and our team of amazing staff in the past few years.

Chan: Right, Paulo. You know, Hong Kong has been trying to reboot everything since the pandemic. So, what have you done exactly to sort of get more visitors to come back to the park, especially in the post-pandemic era?

Pong: The messaging has been very clear. Since we changed our strategy in 2021, we have created noise about conservation and education far more than before, so that people would understand Ocean Park is not only a place to come for fun, but it's also a place where you come and learn about conservation. And with animal welfare at its heart, with the environment, with also biodiversity, everything that we tell people now has to do with conservation and education, and we hope to gain new visitors by telling them that we care about the environment, that we care about what Hong Kong is about, so that they would come and really see for themselves. Of course, we have great animal ambassadors, and that's been the core program for Ocean Park for the past 40 odd years. And marine animals, of course, are very important. But with the additional pandas that we have in the last year or so, that has also helped us gain new visitors.

Chan: Right. Paulo, as I'm sure a lot of Hong Kong people will remember, Ocean Park started more like an ocean area in 1977, some 48 years ago, and then we had a very impressive range of sea animals, including the dolphins, sea lions and penguins and but from last summer we, as you just said, we had this panda becoming a new attraction. And how do you see this as the way forward? I mean, how important is what we call either the panda tourism or the panda economy, the term that a lot of people use?

Pong: Sea animals, of course, are very important, because we're called Ocean Park, after all. But the giant pandas that we've had since 1999, they are some of our most important animal ambassadors as well. And last year, of course, we're fortunate enough to have, you know, from two to four to six giant pandas, and some of them are, of course, behind us today.

Chan: Yes.

Pong: And people have been talking a lot more about Ocean Park, and also we're gaining a lot of exposure online as well as on traditional media, and it's been very helpful for Ocean Park, for our business, as well as our attendance. Just in 2023-2024 alone, we had a jump of 33 percent in terms of attendance, and also with the general income, that has gone up by close to 40 percent as well. So, it's been … business has been good, and we're hoping that this will continue with the additional retail products that we sell, or with the IPs that we're working on now, and also working with different strategic partners so that we can bring more income to the park. It's very important, because close to 30 percent, 40 percent of our expenditure is on conservation and education. So, we need that income. And the good thing is we are very ... the team is working very hard on it, and we now have close to 17 partners in terms of working with our IP, which is called panda friends. You might see it on some electric vehicles. You may see it on some jewelry goods. You may see it in fashion, with cookies. And so we hope that this panda friend's IP will bring extra revenue to the park and also generate good income for the park.

Chan: Right. Paulo, as the Chairman, thank you for bringing us again, right ... really close up here at the giant panda adventure, maybe you can just explain or introduce them to the viewers, who is who and what they are doing?

Pong: So, we have two cubs. Here we have Jia Jia and De De. And if you can see the back of … you can't really see now, but the one sitting down De De is the little brother who we put some coloring on his back so that it's easier for people to identify. The one on the tree is Jia Jia, she’s the elder sister, and she's great. She loves climbing trees. She's very smart, and whereas little brother, De De, is also very cute, and he's more playful. For now, he is actually playing with bamboo leaves. He's attempting to eat bamboo leaves, but he's still on the milk from Ying Ying, who's the mother who will be turning 20 years old this year. And so we're going to have great celebrations coming in August with all these pandas.

Chan: Chairman, as I understand when they were first born. They're just like a palm size with over 100 grams, but they can grow up to over 100 kilograms.

Pong: Yes.

Chan: So, you've seen them grow. And is it a good thing for pandas to be under human care, or is it better for them to be out in the wild?

Pong: Well, the park has great expertise. We have a team of vets and experts and caretakers who've been looking after the first generation of panda – An An and Jia Jia – since 1999 and they really know how to take care of them. And in fact, we held the record of the longest living panda in the world before, and we still hold the longest living male panda record in history. In addition, Ying Ying also holds another record, because she is the oldest mother to give birth to firstborn cubs. So, the team does an amazing job, and we really are fortunate to have them looking after all these six pandas. And we work very closely with the panda authorities in Sichuan as well. We have a lot of exchanges, and we also talk to other zoos around the world, so that we can give our expertise and do exchanges with different experts around the world.

Chan: Right. Paulo, I'm sure people want to know. You mentioned that the attendance has increased by over 30 percent or 40 percent. Where are they from? Are they from locally, internationally, or any sort of special demography that you have found?

Pong: So, we still rely mainly on local customers. So, Hong Kong people who buy annual passes and come and support the Park, which we, of course, are very thankful for. But with overseas visitors or mainland visitors. Of course, we welcome them, and it's a core brand of Hong Kong, and it's a very important tourist attraction for Hong Kong. So, we received a lot of mainland visitors, but in the last few years, we have seen a big increase in customers from Southeast Asia of course, Thailand, The Philippines. And as far as India as well so you know, we're seeing a good influx of different clientele coming to the park, and we welcome them.

Chan: Right, chairman, let's take a short break now. But viewers, stay with us. We will be right back.

Chan: Welcome back! We have been talking with Paulo Pong, the chairman of the Board of Ocean Park Corporation, about panda tourism in Hong Kong. So, Paulo, thank you very much again for bringing us and let the viewers see the really cute pandas on the trees right now.

Pong: You are welcome.

Chan: Let's talk about business. We have been talking about nice things, so let’s talk about business now. I know that Ocean Park has been under some sort of financial challenges, just like many corporations in Hong Kong, or even the rest of the world. And with the pandas coming through, it has kind of given you a new boost of energy. So, what are your plans to sort of making sure this momentum can continue in 2025 and 2026?

Pong: Promoting pandas is a key to the success of Ocean Park. And with the help of different institutions and also government agencies supporting our work, it is tremendously helpful for the business of Ocean Park. As you can see on the streets, I mean ranging from MTR to the opening of Kai Tak Stadium, to Rugby Sevens, to the recent match between Hong Kong and India with the Asian Football Cup, you see pandas everywhere.

Chan: Right.

Pong: And we want to use pandas to participate in all sorts of social activities in Hong Kong. And that already raises awareness on Ocean Park alone. So, this has been very helpful in the past few months, and we will continue to do these, as long as there are sporting events, tourist events, and business events. We even go into shopping malls to work with different business units, to help create business for Ocean Park. So, it's really important that we continue this panda business, this Panda-Monia as you said, so that we can generate more income for the park.

Chan: Right. Chairman, I know you have also launched a treasure moment with the giant panda twins right here, exactly what the viewers are watching. But I can assure you, being here is completely different than watching on television.

Pong: Yes, yes.

Chan: And this is charging at HK$1,500 per person.

Pong: Yes.

Chan: I think it is very reasonable, but has that been doing well?

Pong: Since the launch in February, this treasure moment with the giant pandas has been quite successful. We have over 3,000 visitors who came for the last few months. And they are continued to be booked, there are corporates who’d like to book out the entire session for their clients as well. So, we encouraged people to come, and as you have experienced today, it is very different. You get 30 minutes of exclusive time to come and see the giant pandas, to come and see Jia Jia, De De, and Ying Ying. And you can be very close up with them for 30 minutes. So, it is a very special moment. But in addition, we also have other activities involving the giant pandas, such as the panda poo paper workshop.

Chan: Can you repeat that again?

Pong: Yes, it is called panda poo paper workshop.

Chan: Right.

Pong: And there is a Wowotou Workshop, which makes buns for pandas. And also there is the panda discovery, where you can go behind the scenes, that is very special, to actually interact with all the caretakers, learn about their work, changed into their uniforms, and come out and lay out the bamboo leaves for the giant pandas. So, these are experiences that we have added in the last few months, so that people can get up close with pandas and get to know more about pandas. And it is very educational as well because the caretakers explain a lot about the habitat, the lifestyle of these national treasures to the visitors.

Chan: Right. And also about all the merchandise, I mean thank you very much, we are wearing the Ocean Park merchandise today, hopefully everybody will recognize the panda and the colors, and the actual panda there. How has it been going on with sales to the local population? How popular is it?

Pong: So, in the last few months, we have added 5 times, 5 folds, in terms of number of SKUs. So, we now have over 500, 600 different items that people can choose from. And they range from shirts, fashion, to plush toys, to keychains. But also as I said earlier, we now do a lot of crossover with brands, well-known brands, Hong Kong brands, to create new items to sell to the public. And at the moment, we mostly sell in Hong Kong, but we are branching out to the mainland as well, since we have this panda IP, which is our panda friends. So, we are generating more income. The idea is really to have a different and new and creative items, so that people will keep on coming to buy the items because it is panda cuteness, it is very difficult to beat that.

Chan: As I am sure people who are watching the show now, if they want to be in touch with Ocean Park, I am sure you welcome them, how should they contact you guys?

Pong: Well, we have an online shop. They are more than welcome to visit us there, OceanPark.com.hk. But of course, we want them to come into the park and experience the different features that we have prepared for them. Not only with the giant pandas, but as well as other animals. And of course, there are plenty of retail space that sells our product, all the way to the airport. So, you know you can find Ocean Park products in many different corners in Hong Kong.

Chan: Right. As you said that you have been having new initiatives coming through, and as Hong Kong people we are very lucky to see. But some people will say are we relying too much on the panda tourism, because the sort of novelty may decrease over time. Have you got plans for that?

Pong: Well, I think it is still, the giant pandas are core business for us. And it is the core of the conservation and education for the Park. So, there is no such thing as too much.

Chan: Right.

Pong: I think for the Park, it is very important to latch onto that and actually continue this momentum of giant panda craze. But in addition to giant pandas, we have all sorts of different animals, we have a lot of marine animals, we have different land animals and birds. So, you know, people can come and really learn about the diversity of animals that we have. And we have a new exhibit with sloths as well. So, I mean there is plenty to see here at the Park. You know, we encourage people to come and visit the panda families, as well as to see the other animal features that we have.

Chan: Right. Chairman, apart from Hong Kong, we have a lot of neighboring cities that are close to Hong Kong that also have theme parks, that is also looking at conservation, education, all that. So, how competitive is Hong Kong’s Ocean Park compared to, say, mainland’s or even in Southeast Asia?

Pong: Our caretaker team is amazing. They really are experts in what they do, they get headhunted to go to other parks to work.

Chan: Really?

Pong: So, you know, we have great people here. And I think that is our biggest asset. It is difficult to compare with just the ticket price or number of animals that you have, it is also about how well and how deep you can actually do, in terms of the conservation and education work. We have done an amazing program with the schools, we have something called the School Alliance, where we work with over 500 schools. And the Seahorse Rangers, we have over 12,000 students who signed up, who become these ambassadors for us. And they go back to school and tell people about the different conservation and education programs that we have. And this is something that goes beyond just generating income, we are really educating the next generation about the environment, about animal welfare, about the different diversity of biodiversity that we have in the world. So, we are very competitive, we have to be approaching this financial sustainability. But at the same time, we also see ourselves as a very important non-profit organization with conservation and education at its core.

Chan: Right. So, do you have any sort of new attractions along the line? I read that there is something called the new Adventure (Zone) coming.

Pong: Indeed. So, that will open in a few years’ time. It is still in the planning and designing phase. So, Adventure Zone will open up near the summit, where will be joining up with AJ Hackett, who is the world famous founder of bungee jump. I mean he actually created this sports. And so, we are teaming up with him, and it is going to be quite amazing with bungee jump and zip line. Just one stop away from Admiralty, you can come and have a little jump during lunch and head back to work if you wish. So, it is a brand new feature that we have, and we are all very excited about it.

Chan: Right. So, let me ask you another area apart from pandas, so people not forget you got other things in Ocean Park. So, it is going to be summer, and how is Water World preparing for it?

Pong: Water World reopened in May. We took a business decision to close it during winter, so that we can save a bit of energy and cost, so that when the warmer season comes, which is now, we open up Water World, and it has been very successful as we are heading into the school holidays. We had almost record breaking attendance in the in the past weekend, we expect a lot of people for July 1 holiday as well. So, it is going to be a very busy summer for Water World, and we hope everyone will come and enjoy. And what we have added this year also is a night activity, where we have DJs, we have a silent disco as well.

Chan: Silent disco?

Pong: Yes.

Chan: With the pandas?

Pong: No, not over here, but in Water World. Until 10 pm on the weekends. So, it will be quite popular, I believe, with the teenagers and youngsters, with these new features that we have at Water World.

Chan: Right. Thank you, Chairman, for updating us with all the latest developments at Ocean Park.

As Hong Kong reinforces itself as a regional hub for tourism and culture, it is clear that Ocean Park, through panda tourism and the wave of exciting new developments, will remain a vital asset to our city. Until next time, I am Eugene Chan.