Guangzhou, Wednesday, 5 November 2025.
Chimelong Group opened a US$806.5 million aquatic theme park last Wednesday that launched with five Guinness World Records — including the world’s largest aquarium — a headline fact likely to drive high-intent visitation. For retail and F&B leaders, the project signals continued appetite for premium, spectacle-driven experiences and underlines how capital-intensive marine attractions reshape onsite spend opportunities: high‑ticket special exhibitions, themed dining, IP-led retail and limited‑edition merchandising. Operational complexity (massive life‑support systems, animal‑welfare compliance, and energy loads) will affect opening hours, guest throughput and staffing profiles, all of which shape spend per visitor and peak pricing strategies. Investors and operators should track attendance, per‑capita spend, retention metrics and regulatory disclosures on welfare and environment to judge sustainability of yields. Expect opportunities for tech partnerships around crowd‑flow optimisation, dynamic pricing and sustainable engineering that can reduce operating margins and increase lifetime value from regional inbound tourism.