Everland’s Panda World has experienced a significant increase in visitors recently, following the announcement that Fu Bao, a beloved panda in South Korea, will be accessible to the public only until Mar. 3, in anticipation of her return to China in early April. The unveiling of Fu Bao’s twin siblings, Rui Bao and Hui Bao, earlier this year has fueled the influx of visitors and the surge in merchandise sales related to the pandas.
Samsung C&T Resort Group reported on Feb. 27 that the daily visitor count at Panda World ranges between 7,000 and 8,000, consistent with the previous year’s figures. This marks a significant increase from the average of 4,000 visitors per day during peak seasons in the past, effectively doubling the number recently. Everland has restricted visit durations to five minutes to manage the crowd and limited the number of simultaneous visitors to 80 since last September.
Fu Bao, born on Jul. 20, 2020, is known as Korea’s first naturally-born giant panda and was introduced to the public in early 2021. Her popularity has been a boon for Everland, significantly boosting the park’s profile.
The sale of panda-themed merchandise has seen a remarkable increase as well. By Feb. 23, sales had reached 2.7 million items, a jump of over 60% from the previous year, translating to roughly one in every ten visitors purchasing panda-related items. Notably, dolls of Fu Bao at 50 and 100 days old have entirely sold out. Last November, a 13-day pop-up store at The Hyundai Seoul generated $750,000 (1 billion won) in sales.
The Bao House, a panda-centric interactive gallery that opened on Jan. 20, has drawn an average of 1,000 visitors daily, crossing the 30,000-visitor mark within its first month. The exhibit, dedicated to engagingly showcasing the panda family, has proven so popular that reservations were snapped up immediately upon release.
The announcement of Fu Bao’s impending departure to China in April led to a tripling of Panda World’s attendance over a weekend in late January, with Everland’s overall visitation numbers soaring by over 80%.
The phenomenon of ‘panda fever,’ characterized by widespread public excitement over pandas, was previously witnessed in Japan in 2017 with the birth of Xiang Xiang, a panda cub who became a nationwide sensation. The craze extended to giant panda balloons adorning department store rooftops and a wide array of panda merchandise dominating retail spaces.
Japan’s NHK estimated Xiang Xiang’s economic impact to be around $178 million (26.7 billion yen), attributing it to various factors, including increased zoo admissions, merchandise sales, and the boosted business of related enterprises.
The economic influence of pandas has been compared to major sporting events, with some suggesting it surpasses the benefits of winning the World Baseball Classic (WBC). Katsuhiro Miyamoto, a professor at Kansai University, compared the economic impact of Japan’s WBC win, valued at $397 million (59.6 billion yen), to those brought about by Xiang Xiang. He noted that the economic contribution of Xiang Xiang, which is approximately $433 million (65 billion yen), exceeds that of Japan’s WBC victory.
Although Fu Bao is set to return to China in April, the unveiling of her siblings, Rui Bao and Hui Bao, promises to sustain the high enthusiasm for pandas among local and international visitors.
An Everland official said, “Fu Bao, who is scheduled to depart in early April, will be available for public viewing until Mar. 3. While the exact date of her farewell event at Everland is yet to be determined, we are in the process of organizing a special goodbye for her.”
