Lifestyle News: KidZania Manila announces permanent closure

Another kid-oriented amusement facility in the Philippines is permanently shutting down its operations. KidZania Manila is ceasing its operations for good on August 31, 2020.

In a statement released today (July 22, 2020), Play Innovations Inc.—a subsidiary of broadcast giant ABS-CBN and franchise holder of the brand in the country—cited the uncertainty brought about by the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic for its closure decision.

“With the Covid-19 pandemic and ensuing community quarantine, we have complied and suspended operations to prevent the further spread of the virus, which resulted in a massive impact on our revenues. Even if we are allowed to operate in the future, the ‘new normal’ will prohibit mass gathering and require children to remain at home. These conditions have left us with no choice but to close the play city’s doors permanently,” KidZania Manila’s statement read.

KidZania Manila officially opened its doors in July 2015 as a unique indoor theme park that enables ‘kals’ (kids) to take on various roles in make-believe commercial establishments. It temporarily closed its doors on March 11, 2020 during the onset of the pandemic in the country.

This closure comes after the announced shutdowns of two other kids-themed parks in June. Jump Yard in Ortigas, Pasig City (the first trampoline park in the country) first announced its closure in June. A few days after, the adjacent Fun Ranch said it will not reopen its doors after its lockdown closure. Both parks also cited the impact of the pandemic on their decision.

So far, KidZania Manila is the only KidZania location around the globe that has announced permanent closure during this pandemic. Almost all KidZania branches in more than 20 countries worldwide have reopened or have announced scheduled resumption of operations. KidZania Malaysia re-opened, though in a limited capacity—on July 18, 2020. KidZania in South Korea opened both its locations on April 6, while KidZania Japan opened its branches on June 1.


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