■政府建議給予海洋公園106億4千萬元一次過資助，以支持該園的全新定位策略發展計劃。 資料圖片【原文】政府建議給予海洋公園106.4億元一次過資助，以支持該園的全新定位策略發展計劃。政府全資擁有的海洋公園，是香港重要的旅遊品牌和形象資產，更是港人集體回憶。受修例風波衝擊，海洋公園陷入財困，政府果斷出手拯救，必要而且及時，立法會應支持撥款。海洋公園亦需廣納民智，完善規劃、創新圖強。社會各界應齊心讓香港恢復穩定、重回正軌，吸引遊客再返香港，為海洋公園和旅遊業提供穩健的經營基礎。
有43年歷史的海洋公園，是香港具國際聲譽的本土旅遊品牌，更是港人的驕傲。2012年海洋公園全年入場人次曾達破紀錄的750萬。由於周邊地區主題公園蜂起、競爭激烈，海洋公園自2015/16年度起連續虧損4年。去年6月爆發修例風波，來港遊客銳減，更令海洋公園經營雪上加霜。
政府預計，海洋公園2019/20年度入場人次將只有330萬，較上一個年度下跌逾四成，是「前所未有」的跌幅，2019/20年度海洋公園料錄得現金赤字逾6億元，加上短期內須償還兩筆商業貸款達23億元，即使公園已取得10億元備用循環貸款，但若果無法獲得任何額外財源，預計今年內耗盡現金結餘，無力還債。
事實上，海洋公園一直在變革圖強，4年前已開始研究轉型，並於近期完成全新發展計劃，整個公園將分為7個主題園區，新增20個景點，令景點增加至100個以上，預計2023/24至2026/27財政年度分階段啟用，入場人次在2027/28年度可望回復至750萬人次的最高水平。
為幫助海洋公園走出困境，政府沒有猶豫拖延，果斷出手，一次過資助海洋公園106.4億元，支持其全新計劃，顯示政府有決心、有擔當提升海洋公園競爭力，振興本港旅遊業。
海洋公園於2005年動用55.5億元，落實發展計劃，將景點從35個增至80個，加上全新創意推廣，令海洋公園成功躋身世界級主題公園，成為全球最受歡迎及入場人次最多的主題公園之一，並於2012年獲頒全球最佳主題公園。今天，面對內外因素衝擊，海洋公園變革圖強，努力走出困局，立法會和社會各界理應給予大力支持。
海洋公園要浴火重生，除了投入資金外，更需要做好發展規劃，增強旅遊項目吸引力。對此，海洋公園應更廣泛吸納各方智慧力量，歡迎市民參與海洋公園新發展的規劃，以滿足本地遊客、內地及海外遊客的不同需求，令規劃更完善。
社會各界更應看到，遊客重回香港、對香港遊有信心，是海洋公園及本港旅遊業起死回生的關鍵，廣大市民必須營造遊客放心遊、開心遊的良好環境。 （摘錄自香港《文匯報》社評14-1-2020）
Ocean Park must boost competitiveness despite swift government intervention
【譯文】The government has announced a plan to pump HK$10.64 billion into Ocean Park in an effort to support the local theme park's strategic repositioning. Wholly owned by the government, Ocean Park is not only an important tourism brand and an asset to the local tourism industry, but it is also part of Hong Kong people's collective memory. Struck by the plunging visitor numbers amid the ongoing anti-extradition protests, Ocean Park has found itself in financial difficulties. There is an urgent need for swift actions from the government, and the Legislative Council should approve the plan. In the meantime, Ocean Park should listen to the wisdom of the masses and strive to step up its competitiveness. The rest of the community should also come together to resume order and stability, as growth in visitor numbers will create a friendlier environment for the businesses of Ocean Park and the tourism industry.
A tourism brand well-known across the world, the 43-year-old theme park is the pride of Hong Kong people. Attendance of the park once hit a record high of 7.5 million in 2012. However, the park has lost money four years in a row since its 2015/16 financial year, due to fierce competition from emerging theme parks in the region.
The situation has worsened since June 2019, as anti-extradition bill protests drive away visitors. According to the government, visitor numbers in the 2019/20 financial year are expected to plunge by 40 per cent to 3.3 million, which is an "unprecedented" steep decline. The financially distressed theme park has already recorded a HK$600 million loss in the 2019/20 financial year. The fact that its two commercial loan repayments totaling HK$2.3 billion are going due in the short term means that its coffers will be empty this year, if it fails to obtain any extra funding other than the HK$1 billion revolving loan facility that it has secured.
In fact, Ocean Park has been attempting to step up its competitiveness by bringing changes, and plans for repositioning have been in the works for four years already. The recently completed expansion plan will create seven new zones and 20 attractions, increasing the total number of attractions to over 100. The expansion will come in phases between the financial years of 2023/24 and 2026/27, and park attendance will hopefully rise to the record high of 7.5 million in 2027/28.
The government's prompt actions to provide the one-off HK$10.64 billion financial aid show that the authorities are determined to boost the park's competitiveness and stimulate the local tourism sector.
With innovative promotion efforts and a HK$5.55 billion expansion plan that increased the number of attractions from 35 to 80 in 2005, Ocean Park has become one of the most popular and most visited world-class theme parks in the globe. It was even recognised as the world's top theme park in 2012.
As the battered local attraction struggles amid both internal and external challenges, the Legislative Council and the Hong Kong community should offer their biggest support to its transformation efforts.
If Ocean Park is to be reborn from the ashes, well-developed plans and fun attractions are as important as sufficient funds. The theme park should draw opinions from as many stakeholders as possible and allow the public a voice in determining Ocean Park's future, so that the demands of local, mainland Chinese, and foreign visitors can all be met.
The people of Hong Kong should understand that persuading tourists to return is paramount to reviving Ocean Park and the local tourism industry. The public must help to create a pleasant environment in which tourists enjoy and feel safe.■Jeffrey Tse
Learning Point
日常生活所接觸到的數目多以阿拉伯數目字顯示，要把複雜數目轉以英文表達時，往往令人費煞思量。例如文中提到106.4億港元，可能已經遠超過同學日常所接觸。其實一般阿拉伯數目都具千分撇，例如1,000、1,000,000等。英語在短級差系統（short scale）之中，每一千分撇就會以不同字表達，數位未達下個千分撇時，就以十位或百位表達，例如：
1,000 One thousand 1千
10,000 Ten thousand 1萬
100,000 One hundred thousand 10萬
1,000,000 One million 100萬
10,000,000 Ten million 1千萬
100,000,000 One hundred million 1億
1,000,000,000 One billion 10億
1,000,000,000,000 One trillion 1萬億