Ratanga Junction has secured major training contracts with a Middle Eastern
company for a new theme park, Metropolitan Park, which is to open in Lebanon
next year.
The $40million park is to be built on a 107 000 square metre plot in Haret
al-Sit near Jamhour by Al-Habtoor Properties which is owned by the Emirati
tycoon Khalaf al-Habtoor.
David Kliegl, general manger of Ratanga Junction, said Ratanga Junction had
built up a unique set of skills and experience since opening in December
1998 and with the introduction of a seasonal operating schedule for the ride
park last year they were ideally placed to take on external management and
training contracts of this nature.
He said much of the training would be done at Ratanga Junction but a
management training team would also be deployed to Lebanon for the
pre-launch and launch period next July which conveniently coincided with
Ratanga Junction's winter closure.
The introduction last year of a seasonal operating schedule for the park
significantly reduced overheads enabling Ratanga Junction to report its
first operating profit for the year to end March 2003.
"These contracts will result in significant additional revenue for the park,
most of which will go straight to the bottom line," he said.
Kleigl said the training contracts included the training of key personnel
for Metropolitan Park and the procurement and training of birds for a
birdshow loosely based on Ratanga Junction's widely acclaimed shows.
Bird handlers from Lebanon and other key personnel including Metropolitan
Park's general manager will be trained at Ratanga Junction in Cape Town
during Ratanga's high season in December this year.
Kliegl, who has just returned from a three-week trip to Lebanon, said the
value of training contracts currently in hand totaled approximately
R1million but additional contracts with Metropolitan Park were under
negotiation.
Greg Deans, managing director of Century City Limited which owns Ratanga
Junction, said the securing of outside contracts was in line with the
group's strategy to maximize its assets, including personnel, year round to
achieve maximum financial returns.
"In a similar vein while the ride element of the park is closed for the bad
weather months, Ratanga Junction has been growing its corporate function and
event business year round. It is one of only a few venues in the Western
Cape that can accommodate functions for up to 2000 or more and is well
placed to benefit from growth in this market."
The ride park will reopen for the high season on November 28.
Publisher: Cape Business News
Source: Cape Business News
Ratanga picks up lucrative offshore contracts.
Posted On Wednesday, 06 August 2003 02:00 Published by eProperty News
Ratanga Junction has secured major training contracts with a Middle Eastern company for a new theme park, Metropolitan Park, which is to open in Lebanon next year.
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