Asia-Pacific Quick Takes: New Australian Attractions Part of ‘Cocooning’; Endangered Tigers Born in Malaysia Zoo
New Australian Attractions Part of ‘Cocooning’
Sanad Capital is banking on the post-COVID-19 era to provide a boost to local attractions, including the AU$65 million Actventure water park and eco-resort that the company is planning for Australia’s Sunshine Coast.
The 14-hectare attraction, located about 80 minutes north of Brisbane, will be one of the Sunshine Coast’s first themed attractions to open in more than 30 years. Actventure will feature water activities like paddleboarding and kayaking mixed with water slides, situated next to 160 villas.
“The ongoing impacts of COVID-19 on domestic and international travel means we’re seeing a resurgence of support for local tourism and the rising need to complement existing holiday offerings with exhilarating and refreshing experiences to fulfill the needs of Australian travelers and allow them to escape the ordinary,” explains Sanad Capital Managing Director Bradley Sutherland. As pandemic restrictions ease, Sutherland expects Australians will travel closer to home, a trend that he calls “cocooning,” as families seek risk-free, short-stay holiday spots.
Endangered Tigers Born in Malaysia Zoo
Three healthy Malayan tiger cubs are the newest residents of the Zoo Taiping & Night Safari (ZTNS), a 36-acre facility in northern Malaysia. The cubs, one male and two females, were born while Malaysia was under a “movement control order” to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
Several thousand Malayan tigers used to roam the peninsula; less than 200 remain in the wild today. Since tigers are a solitary species, ZTNS prepared a special den for the 11-year-old tigress to give birth, following her natural mating patterns at the beginning of the year. Area officials hope to increase the local tiger population to at least 500.
In addition to tigers, ZTNS has successfully bred more than a dozen endangered species, including orangutans, the milky stork, and Asian elephants. The zoological facility currently caters to a domestic audience but aims to become an international eco-tourism destination.
