Lemur
Itchin' To get Back To O'Town
- Joined
- Mar 26, 2002
- Messages
- 99
I've just seen this come down the wires from REUTERS:
Thought you guys might like to see this.
***
A string of health and safety scares at the Universal Studios Japan movie theme park in July have been splashed across Japanese newspapers but have not affected attendance, a company spokesman said on Thursday.
However, local media estimates suggested visitor numbers were already down substantially compared with the theme park's wildly successful opening year.
Tourists can enjoy nerve-racking encounters with dinosaurs and sharks at the popular theme park, operated by USJ Co, a subsidiary of media giant Vivendi that recreates scenes from famous films such as "Jaws" and "Jurassic Park".
This summer, visitors have been faced with less predictable dangers, including problems with the water supply and out-of-date food.
Officials at the park in the western city of Osaka revealed on Wednesday that they had exceeded the amount of explosives they are permitted to use in the amusement park attractions.
"We are not concerned that this is going to affect our attendance. It is identical to what it was in the few weeks before the incidents," said Jim Yeager, a spokesman for the park operators.
USJ does not release attendance figures, but the Nihon Keizai Shimbun business newspaper recently estimated that visitor numbers were down by 26 percent from the previous year in May and 45 percent in June. That was due in part to the distraction of the soccer World Cup finals, co-hosted with South Korea in June.
SOUR NOTE
USJ defied the Japanese recession to welcome 11 million guests in its first year of operations to March 31, making it one of the most popular tourist attractions in the world and an important part of a economy stagnating amid entrenched deflation.
But its image took a battering in early July with the news that all 21 restaurants on the premises had used out-of-date ingredients in food served between June last year and February this year.
The news struck a sour note with consumers, who were already shocked by a series of mislabelling and other food-related scandals earlier in the year.
Just weeks later, officials revealed that USJ had mistakenly connected one of its drinking fountains to a source of unpurified water intended for industrial use.
USJ Co was forced to disconnect all 32 water fountains after local government tests found water from six contained more than the permitted amount of bacteria.
The third revelation came on Wednesday, when park officials said they had exceeded the permitted amount of explosives that can be used in its attractions and stored on the premises.
"It was an unfortunate error by one of our technicians, who has subsequently left the company," said Yeager.
Local safety officials and police are currently investigating the violation. Japanese media said the park's explosives permit could be removed, having a disastrous effect on several attractions.
"I'd like them to be a bit more careful and stick to the regulations," one woman visiting the park with her children told a local television station.
Thought you guys might like to see this.
***
A string of health and safety scares at the Universal Studios Japan movie theme park in July have been splashed across Japanese newspapers but have not affected attendance, a company spokesman said on Thursday.
However, local media estimates suggested visitor numbers were already down substantially compared with the theme park's wildly successful opening year.
Tourists can enjoy nerve-racking encounters with dinosaurs and sharks at the popular theme park, operated by USJ Co, a subsidiary of media giant Vivendi that recreates scenes from famous films such as "Jaws" and "Jurassic Park".
This summer, visitors have been faced with less predictable dangers, including problems with the water supply and out-of-date food.
Officials at the park in the western city of Osaka revealed on Wednesday that they had exceeded the amount of explosives they are permitted to use in the amusement park attractions.
"We are not concerned that this is going to affect our attendance. It is identical to what it was in the few weeks before the incidents," said Jim Yeager, a spokesman for the park operators.
USJ does not release attendance figures, but the Nihon Keizai Shimbun business newspaper recently estimated that visitor numbers were down by 26 percent from the previous year in May and 45 percent in June. That was due in part to the distraction of the soccer World Cup finals, co-hosted with South Korea in June.
SOUR NOTE
USJ defied the Japanese recession to welcome 11 million guests in its first year of operations to March 31, making it one of the most popular tourist attractions in the world and an important part of a economy stagnating amid entrenched deflation.
But its image took a battering in early July with the news that all 21 restaurants on the premises had used out-of-date ingredients in food served between June last year and February this year.
The news struck a sour note with consumers, who were already shocked by a series of mislabelling and other food-related scandals earlier in the year.
Just weeks later, officials revealed that USJ had mistakenly connected one of its drinking fountains to a source of unpurified water intended for industrial use.
USJ Co was forced to disconnect all 32 water fountains after local government tests found water from six contained more than the permitted amount of bacteria.
The third revelation came on Wednesday, when park officials said they had exceeded the permitted amount of explosives that can be used in its attractions and stored on the premises.
"It was an unfortunate error by one of our technicians, who has subsequently left the company," said Yeager.
Local safety officials and police are currently investigating the violation. Japanese media said the park's explosives permit could be removed, having a disastrous effect on several attractions.
"I'd like them to be a bit more careful and stick to the regulations," one woman visiting the park with her children told a local television station.
