The Sun Sets Slowly Over Brandenburg's Tropical Dream
Having suffered many disappointments concerning publically funded projects, the state of Brandenburg hoped a tropical leisure center would offer a ray of hope. Instead the ailing concern is just bringing more gloom.
The economically depressed eastern German state of Brandenburg has seen its fair share of bitter experiences when it comes to huge public investment projects since German unification in 1990. Against this background, state authorities were pleased when Malaysian businessman Colin Au built a huge tropical-feeling leisure center in Brandenburg without any subsidies. The center, which opened about a year ago, was to become a symbol of economic success in a region where unemployment still hovers around the 20 percent mark. But the leisure time park, which has already swallowed a little under 100 million euros ($120 million) in private investment, is now going to have to depend on public funding to avoid another economic fiasco in Brandenburg. State authorities in Brandenburg haven't been too successful in their public investment policy in the past 10 years, to put it mildly. A grand plan to build one of the world's most modern chip-producing factories there burst like a bubble in 2003. The much-talked about Brandenburg-Berlin International airport still seems light years away from being built. Line of failures looked to be ended by Au's vision Another beacon of economic hope disappeared in 2002 when a company planning to build gas-filled transport airships went bust despite considerable subsidies. But Au's vision for the abandoned dome which the airship company needed as a hangar offered Brandenburg another chance. In the middle of nowhere, he created what he named his "Tropical Islands" wonderland, sporting everything from sandy beaches, lakes and a Laguna to a Caribbean-style village. The economics ministry in Brandenburg was over the moon to see Au originally agreeing to build the facility without any state subsidies. And Au himself had no doubt at the time that he could well do without them. Overestimated visitor numbers tell sorry story But the center's first year in operation tells a different story. Colin Au, who has meanwhile left Brandenburg and transferred matters to a German management company, had expected some 1.5 million visitors to come to Tropical Islands within the first year, but only some 950,000 will have turned up by the end of 2005. It seems highly unlikely that visitor numbers will increase considerably in future, placing a question mark on the viability of the whole centre. But Brandenburg's economics ministry is certain that the park will be in the black as of 2008. To make the place more attractive, it has agreed to shell out 15 million euros in subsidies for yet another reconstruction and marketing effort. After all, the leisure time center has a workforce of about 500 and is thus the biggest employer in an otherwise depressed region marked by a high jobless rate. Tropical center down but not out...not yet "We hope the money will help make the Tropical Islands resort better known throughout Europe according to the new marketing concept hammered out the management," ministry spokesman Steffen Kammrath said. "This leisure time center is unique and has to be marketed as such. What you have there is a tropical and water world 12 months a year with a lot of attractive offers to spend a whale of a time there." Some commentators believe that state subsidies may prolong the center's life span, but will not be able to avoid its demise in the long run. But the idea of also making it more attractive for tourists from all over Europe seems unrealistic to them if the resort's management can't even get enough visitors from home to ensure a profitable operation.
Brandenburg
Brandenburg Margraviate_of_Brandenburg Province_of_Brandenburg Brandenburg_an_der_Havel Brandenburg,_Kentucky Brandenburg-Prussia Bishopric_of_Brandenburg Brandenburgers Brandenburg_(ballet) Station_Brandenburg_(Tram_de_Bordeaux) Brandenburg_Euthanasia_Centre Wolfpack_Brandenburg Brandenburg_Hauptbahnhof List_of_rulers_of_Brandenburg German_frigate_Brandenburg Ushakovo,_Kaliningrad_Oblast
Brandenburg
Brandenburg Margraviate_of_Brandenburg Province_of_Brandenburg Brandenburg_an_der_Havel Brandenburg,_Kentucky Brandenburg-Prussia Bishopric_of_Brandenburg Brandenburgers Brandenburg_(ballet) Station_Brandenburg_(Tram_de_Bordeaux) Brandenburg_Euthanasia_Centre Wolfpack_Brandenburg Brandenburg_Hauptbahnhof List_of_rulers_of_Brandenburg German_frigate_Brandenburg Ushakovo,_Kaliningrad_Oblast
German
Brandenburg
Brandenburg Margraviate_of_Brandenburg Province_of_Brandenburg Brandenburg_an_der_Havel Brandenburg,_Kentucky Brandenburg-Prussia Bishopric_of_Brandenburg Brandenburgers Brandenburg_(ballet) Station_Brandenburg_(Tram_de_Bordeaux) Brandenburg_Euthanasia_Centre Wolfpack_Brandenburg Brandenburg_Hauptbahnhof List_of_rulers_of_Brandenburg German_frigate_Brandenburg Ushakovo,_Kaliningrad_Oblast
German
1990
Malaysian
businessman
Colin Au
Brandenburg
Brandenburg Margraviate_of_Brandenburg Province_of_Brandenburg Brandenburg_an_der_Havel Brandenburg,_Kentucky Brandenburg-Prussia Bishopric_of_Brandenburg Brandenburgers Brandenburg_(ballet) Station_Brandenburg_(Tram_de_Bordeaux) Brandenburg_Euthanasia_Centre Wolfpack_Brandenburg Brandenburg_Hauptbahnhof List_of_rulers_of_Brandenburg German_frigate_Brandenburg Ushakovo,_Kaliningrad_Oblast
100 million euros
$120 million
Brandenburg
Brandenburg Margraviate_of_Brandenburg Province_of_Brandenburg Brandenburg_an_der_Havel Brandenburg,_Kentucky Brandenburg-Prussia Bishopric_of_Brandenburg Brandenburgers Brandenburg_(ballet) Station_Brandenburg_(Tram_de_Bordeaux) Brandenburg_Euthanasia_Centre Wolfpack_Brandenburg Brandenburg_Hauptbahnhof List_of_rulers_of_Brandenburg German_frigate_Brandenburg Ushakovo,_Kaliningrad_Oblast
Brandenburg
Brandenburg Margraviate_of_Brandenburg Province_of_Brandenburg Brandenburg_an_der_Havel Brandenburg,_Kentucky Brandenburg-Prussia Bishopric_of_Brandenburg Brandenburgers Brandenburg_(ballet) Station_Brandenburg_(Tram_de_Bordeaux) Brandenburg_Euthanasia_Centre Wolfpack_Brandenburg Brandenburg_Hauptbahnhof List_of_rulers_of_Brandenburg German_frigate_Brandenburg Ushakovo,_Kaliningrad_Oblast
2003
Brandenburg-Berlin International airport
Au
Astronomical_unit Kent_Music_Report Arellano_Chiefs Gold Au_(mobile_phone_company) African_Union Australia ARIA_Charts Audio_Units .au Au_file_format Au_(Munich) Au,_Vorarlberg Arellano_University Au_(Sieg)_station Au_(Schwarzwald)
2002
Au
Astronomical_unit Kent_Music_Report Arellano_Chiefs Gold Au_(mobile_phone_company) African_Union Australia ARIA_Charts Audio_Units .au Au_file_format Au_(Munich) Au,_Vorarlberg Arellano_University Au_(Sieg)_station Au_(Schwarzwald)
Brandenburg
Brandenburg Margraviate_of_Brandenburg Province_of_Brandenburg Brandenburg_an_der_Havel Brandenburg,_Kentucky Brandenburg-Prussia Bishopric_of_Brandenburg Brandenburgers Brandenburg_(ballet) Station_Brandenburg_(Tram_de_Bordeaux) Brandenburg_Euthanasia_Centre Wolfpack_Brandenburg Brandenburg_Hauptbahnhof List_of_rulers_of_Brandenburg German_frigate_Brandenburg Ushakovo,_Kaliningrad_Oblast
Tropical Islands
Tropical_Islands_Resort Tropical_island Desert_island
Laguna
Caribbean
Brandenburg
Brandenburg Margraviate_of_Brandenburg Province_of_Brandenburg Brandenburg_an_der_Havel Brandenburg,_Kentucky Brandenburg-Prussia Bishopric_of_Brandenburg Brandenburgers Brandenburg_(ballet) Station_Brandenburg_(Tram_de_Bordeaux) Brandenburg_Euthanasia_Centre Wolfpack_Brandenburg Brandenburg_Hauptbahnhof List_of_rulers_of_Brandenburg German_frigate_Brandenburg Ushakovo,_Kaliningrad_Oblast
Au
Astronomical_unit Kent_Music_Report Arellano_Chiefs Gold Au_(mobile_phone_company) African_Union Australia ARIA_Charts Audio_Units .au Au_file_format Au_(Munich) Au,_Vorarlberg Arellano_University Au_(Sieg)_station Au_(Schwarzwald)
Au
Astronomical_unit Kent_Music_Report Arellano_Chiefs Gold Au_(mobile_phone_company) African_Union Australia ARIA_Charts Audio_Units .au Au_file_format Au_(Munich) Au,_Vorarlberg Arellano_University Au_(Sieg)_station Au_(Schwarzwald)
Colin Au
Brandenburg
Brandenburg Margraviate_of_Brandenburg Province_of_Brandenburg Brandenburg_an_der_Havel Brandenburg,_Kentucky Brandenburg-Prussia Bishopric_of_Brandenburg Brandenburgers Brandenburg_(ballet) Station_Brandenburg_(Tram_de_Bordeaux) Brandenburg_Euthanasia_Centre Wolfpack_Brandenburg Brandenburg_Hauptbahnhof List_of_rulers_of_Brandenburg German_frigate_Brandenburg Ushakovo,_Kaliningrad_Oblast
German
Tropical Islands
Tropical_Islands_Resort Tropical_island Desert_island
2005
Brandenburg
Brandenburg Margraviate_of_Brandenburg Province_of_Brandenburg Brandenburg_an_der_Havel Brandenburg,_Kentucky Brandenburg-Prussia Bishopric_of_Brandenburg Brandenburgers Brandenburg_(ballet) Station_Brandenburg_(Tram_de_Bordeaux) Brandenburg_Euthanasia_Centre Wolfpack_Brandenburg Brandenburg_Hauptbahnhof List_of_rulers_of_Brandenburg German_frigate_Brandenburg Ushakovo,_Kaliningrad_Oblast
2008
15 million euros
Tropical Islands
Tropical_Islands_Resort Tropical_island Desert_island
Europe
Europe UEFA Europe_(band) UEFA_competitions European_Athletic_Association European_theatre_of_World_War_II European_Union Europe_(dinghy) European_Cricket_Council UEFA_Champions_League Senior_League_World_Series_(Europe–Africa_Region) Big_League_World_Series_(Europe–Africa_Region) Sailing_at_the_2004_Summer_Olympics_–_Europe Neolithic_Europe History_of_Europe Europe_(magazine)
spokesman
Steffen Kammrath
Europe
Europe UEFA Europe_(band) UEFA_competitions European_Athletic_Association European_theatre_of_World_War_II European_Union Europe_(dinghy) European_Cricket_Council UEFA_Champions_League Senior_League_World_Series_(Europe–Africa_Region) Big_League_World_Series_(Europe–Africa_Region) Sailing_at_the_2004_Summer_Olympics_–_Europe Neolithic_Europe History_of_Europe Europe_(magazine)
Brandenburg
Brandenburg
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Colin Au
gender::male iptc::20000170 slot::keyword topic::business type::entity type::manager type::person
Tropical Islands
Tropical_Islands_Resort
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Steffen Kammrath
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German
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1990
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Malaysian
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100 million euros
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$120 million
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2003
topic::none type::time type::value
Brandenburg-Berlin International airport
Berlin_Brandenburg_Airport
iptc::20000170 sector::20000338 topic::business type::company type::entity type::organization
2002
topic::none type::time type::value
Laguna
topic::none type::none type::other type::skip
Caribbean
topic::none type::loc-x type::other
2005
topic::none type::time type::value
2008
topic::none type::time type::value
15 million euros
topic::none type::money type::value
Europe
Europe
topic::none type::entity type::location type::regio
spokesman
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Germany
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Malaysia