of Hong Kong Island, not far from the central busi-
ness district. By 2010, the Park was a major tourist
attraction in Hong Kong and one of the world's leading
amusement parks and oceanariums. Its vision was to
be the world leader in providing excellent guest expe-
riences in an amusement park environment connecting
people with nature.5 Since 1987, Ocean Park had been
owned by the Hong Kong Government, supported by
the Home Affairs Bureau and the Tourism Board and
managed by the Ocean Park Corporation. The park's
mascot, a,sea lion with the name of Wai Wai (Whiskers
in English), was introduced to the park in 2000. He
became a household name in Hong Kong, particularly
with children and families.
It had not always been smooth sailing for Ocean
Park. The 1997 Asian financial crisis contributed to
four consecutive years of losses from 1999 to 2002.
In 2002, Ocean Park lost HK$80 million. During this
extremely difficult period there was even some talk
of closing the park. To make matters worse, the out-
break of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS)