The wheel will have 48 "capsules" or observation decks, fully air-conditioned. "The capsule in London caters for 25. Ours will cater for 40 people. It's like a little bus. It's 18 tonnes heavy. It's like your living room," said Great Wheel Corp Chief Executive Officer Stephan Matter. The experience will apparently be "like flying." Construction is planned in Beijing's Chaoyang Park, where Beijing Olympics beach volleyball events will take place.
Why is Beijing going to great lengths to build a Ferris Wheel, especially when every other city has one? Tourism, mainly, but definitely to gather more exposure ahead of the Olympics. Just a side note: building a Ferris Wheel is not profitable, especially one of this scale. For example, the London Eye takes in an average revenue of 30-40 million pounds per year, but comes out with 20-30 million pounds net loss per year due to interest fees and other associated variable costs. Granted, the Chinese government won't be dealing with commercial fees, but the Ferris Wheel isn't exactly a unique attraction either. What gives? Beijing is undoubtedly trying hard to attract foreign tourist spending in China. Currently, according to the World Tourism Organization, China is the 4th most visited country in the world. China's tourism industry, however, is expected to expand and become the 2nd largest in the world, after the US. Revenue from direct and indirect tourist spending is expected to contribute 13.7% of GDP in 2006. That is a huge figure, but continued growth is required for sustainability. Therefore, maybe Beijing is trying new methods to attract Generation X, those indifferent about the old Great Wall and Terracotta Warriors or have seen those cultural icons in textbooks. Now a Ferris Wheel trip, perhaps, for a view of the Beijing skyline?
Comment Preview