The Huis Ten Bosch theme park in Sasebo City has announced that it has entered into a basic agreement to sell part of its land for facility construction if Nagasaki Prefecture succeeds in its IR bid.
The site earmarked for sale is a plot of 30 hectares where the Hotel Europe, Forest Villa and other buildings are currently standing. The actual value of the sale is yet to be decided.
President of Huis Ten Bosch, Hideo Sawada, has stated that the park “will not be participating as an operator, but if there is a request we may be involved in part of the facility’s operations.”
In a bonus to an IR bid, he added, “we would expect it to be able to attract between one and two million visitors annually.”
Nagasaki prefecture launched a plan to strengthen its case for an IR from the new fiscal year and Governor Hodo Nakamura stressed, “The land earmarked for purchase faces the sea and is a place of great beauty.”
Sasebo City Mayor, Norio Tomonaga, commented, “I have been researching the matter of IRs for over a decade and I would like to win in the regional competition.”
It isn’t only Nagasaki prefecture’s Sasebo that is interested in attracting an IR, but also Osaka prefecture/city and Wakayama prefecture, among others. Going forward, the national government will draft policies regarding the local government selection process and the local municipalities will select an operator by public offering and submit their drafted plans to the national government.