Sanrio is set to open a Hello Kitty theme park in 2024 in the Chinese island province of Hainan. The $1.6bn attraction will have a hotel and shopping outlets.
Sanrio (Shanghai) International Trade Co Ltd and Chinese company Funde Holding Group Co Ltd have signed an agreement for the new attraction (via Xinhua).
The theme park will be located in Sanya’s Haitang Bay, a beach city in Hainan, and will feature a hotel and retail facilities.
According to Pan Jiade, Chairman of Funde Holding Group, the theme park is expected to welcome approximately 2 million tourists each year.
Sanrio signs agreement with Funde Holding Group
Reports of the Hello Kitty theme park in Hainan first surfaced in December 2018. The RMB 11 billion ($1.6 billion) development is thought to be called Hainan Hello Kitty Paradise.
Hainan is building various branded theme parks and resorts in a bid to become an international tourism destination.
In 2017, Shimao Group announced a new indoor Hello Kitty theme park in Shanghai. The Shimao Group has licensed the feline character from Japanese company Sanrio.
Meanwhile, Sanrio is opening another Hello Kitty theme park in Vietnam in 2021. The 30,000 sqm indoor Sanrio Hello Kitty World Hanoi will include gaming, rides, a theatre, F&B and shopping.
Hello Kitty theme parks heading to China and Vietnam
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Local property firm BRG Group will build and operate the attraction while paying Sanrio royalty fees for the use of characters, including Hello Kitty, My Melody and Pompompurin.
Sanrio currently operates theme parks in Tokyo and Oita Prefecture in southwestern Japan. There are also Sanrio brand theme parks in South Korea and Malaysia.
Images: Sanrio Puroland