Six Flags and Nickelodeon to invest in Acapulco, Mexico

[DiegoCC]

Taken from El Financiero.

 

http://www.elfinanciero.com.mx/empresas/six-flags-y-nickelodeon-apuntan-inversiones-hacia-guerrero.html

 

ACAPULCO Gro.-Con una inversión superior a los 600 millones de dólares, las empresas internacionales Six Flags y Nickelodeon proyectan realizar dos mega proyectos en la zona diamante de Acapulco a partir del 2015.

 

Oscar Eduardo Athié Furlong, subdirector General de la Promotora Turística de Guerrero (Protur) y Director General de Pro Guerrero que se dedica a la atracción de inversiones para esta entidad, confirmó que la empresa Six Flags, planea construir un parque temático en Acapulco a partir del 2016, con una inversión de 400 millones de dólares y que estaría listo para su inauguración a finales del 2017.

 

“Las negociaciones que traemos con Six Flags están en un segundo nivel y van por muy buen camino, por lo que te puedo asegurar que ellos estarían arrancando sus obras a principios del 2016 y abrirían el nuevo parque antes de concluir el 2017”.

 

La empresa Six Flags opera actualmente 22 parques temáticos alrededor del mundo, entre ellos uno en la Ciudad de México y actualmente construye un nuevo proyecto en Dubai que contempla abrir a mediados del próximo año.

 

Asimismo, Athié Furlong, detalló que la empresa norteamericana que es propietaria del canal de televisión infantil y juvenil Nickelodeon, también tiene proyectado construir un hotel temático en este destino de playa, con un inversión que rondará en los 200 millones de dólares y que tiene previsto inaugurar antes de que concluya el 2016.

 

“Será un hotel temático dirigido particularmente para el mercado familiar. Lo interesante de esta marca es que tienen su propio marketing con el cual se hacen llegar sus propios clientes de todo el mundo, y eso nos habla de la confianza que tienen en Acapulco para poder realizar un proyecto como este”.

 

Actualmente, la empresa Nickelodeon opera hoteles en diferentes centros turísticos de Estados Unidos, resultando el más emblemático el Nickelodeon Suites Resort ubicado en Orlando Florida, el mantiene un promedio de ocupación superior al 98 por ciento anual.

 

“Este es un legado de inversiones que se dejará para la próxima administración estatal, y que a pesar de la situación por la que actualmente atraviesa Guerrero, las dos inversiones se encuentran muy firmes y ninguna se ha caído o se ha cancelado”.

 

Translated:

 

With an investment of over 600 million dollars , the international companies Six Flags and Nickelodeon are planning two mega projects in the "Diamond Zone" in Acapulco by 2015.

 

Oscar Eduardo Athié Furlong, vicepresident of Protur and CEO of ProGuerrero, confirmed that Six Flags is planning to build a theme park in Acapulco by 2016 with an investment of 400 million dollars and it´d be finished by the end of 2017.

 

"The negotiations we have with Six Flags are in a second level and are looking good, so I can assure you that they'd be starting the theme park by 2016 and finish it approximately by 2017."

 

Six Flags has 22 parks around the world, one of them in Mexico City, and with a new project in Dubai that is set to open the next year.

 

Athié Furlong said that the american company Nickelodeon will build a themed hotel with an investment of over 200 million dollars and is predicted to open before 2016 ends.

 

"It'll be a themed hotel adressed for the family market. The interesting thing about this brand is that they have their own marketing, which helps bringing people all over the world and that demonstrates the trust this company is having over Acapulco."

 

At present, Nickelodeon operates themed hotels in different destinatios of USA, Nickelodeon Suites Resort being the most important one located in Orlando, Florida, which has an average of 98% of annual occupancy.

 

"This is a legacy of investments that will be left for the next government administration, and despite the present situation of Guerrero, both investments are firm and there hasn't been any cancelation."

[Nrthwnd]

Well, this is interesting.

[GwaziBSRider1]

This is interesting. Especially so since you usually only hear terrible news from this area of Mexico. Sounds like the local government is trying to clean up Gurrero and bring back the tourists.

[WFChris]

OMG I've always wanted to go to Mexico! Now I have a reason!!!!

[Jew]

Wait, what?

[theymitbgi]

Why does this not sound like a good place to build a park? It seems like a Hard Rock all over again. People go to Acapulco for fun and sun not a theme park.

 

600 million out of Six Flags pocket could bankrupt them, again.

[Mater]

I saw Breaking Bad. I know what happens in Mexico.

 

 

Hard pass.

[StuckInSD]

... so they're planning on building a theme park in one of Mexico's most violent cities.

 

I'm really gonna have to think about this one.

[DJeXeL]

[coasterschile]

^

 

Why Mexico, why?!

[GCI Wooden]

Yeah, this does seem like another Hard Rock, people go there for the beach, not spending $60 to stand in line for a roller coaster.

[WFChris]

The other strange part about Acapulco is that most of the Nationals that visit there are from Mexico City...where there is already a Six Flags.

 

Puerto Vallarta or Cancun would have seemed like better choices.

[DiegoCC]

I think it'd be a great addition. Acapulco is one of the most visited beaches in Mexico, and people don't go there just to the beach, there are a lot of other activities to do there.

[WFChris]

^Perhaps another way of looking at it is to once again appeal to visitors from the USA. Acapulco has recieve lots of negative press up here lately, perhaps a family friendly vibe will once again draw people to the city for vacations. Either way, I'm there once it opens!

[theymitbgi]

How did the family friend vibe work out for Vegas?

[WFChris]

Acapulco, other than alcohol, is kinda hard to compare to a city in the middle of the desert that exists primarily on gambling.

[theymitbgi]

I just don't think either were necessarily considered family friendly destinations.

[Jew]

I just don't think either were necessarily considered family friendly destinations.

 

Cruise ships are full of families that need something to do for the day...

 

Is it bad my first thought is that these "investments" are just drug cartels laundering money?

[Gnome]

How did the family friend vibe work out for Vegas?

It worked out fine until casino's realized families didnt bring as much money to the resorts as wealthy individuals do.

 

 

Also, I literally just read an article today that ranked Acapulco to be more dangerous then Kabul, Afghanistan or Baghdad, Iraq.

[GwaziBSRider1]

^ Yes, Acapulco is an extremely dangerous city with lots of drug cartel related incidents (especially kidnappings). It's a shame since it used to be one of THE places to go on vacation. If this park opens, I wonder how many people will be brave enough to visit.

[DiegoCC]

Don't believe everything you read.

 

Acapulco, while not the safest city in the world, is far away to be one of the most dangerous in the whole world. I just went there two weeks ago and it is just as quiet as going to Puerto Vallarta or any other beach in Mexico.

 

Plus, the zone where the investments are planned (Zona Diamante) is way, WAY too safe. The ugly things that happen in Acapulco are in the town, which is like 30-45 minutes away from zona diamante.