Universal joy, immersive experiences on the way

"It is forecast that in the first year, the resort is expected to receive about 8 million visitors, significantly accelerating the local consumption. Not to mention the vast job opportunities the project has brought and is going to create, and the trickle-down effects on related sectors, including tourism, catering and the creative industry," said Zhao.

According to a report from China Securities, revenue from tourism in Beijing is expected to grow 7 to 7.5 percent next year, thanks to the establishment and opening of the UBR, generating direct and indirect annual economic growth of about 100 billion yuan.

Recruitment and training of staff for a resort like the UBR present an immense challenge because it will involve more than 10,000 people during the opening phase.

Recruitment kicked off in May last year. To attract and nurture local professionals in theme park operations, which are still new, the UBR has established cooperation with more than 10 local vocational schools in the areas of entertainment and performing arts, safety and security, hospitality management and cultural tourism.

The move is believed to contribute to the talent reserve of cultural tourism industry in the country.

This year, the resort has been the focus of recruitment for resort and park operations roles, engineering, marketing and sales, other professional positions and frontline service personnel. It has begun providing customized and professional training programs to prepare for the operations of phase one.

Owing to the sheer size of the facilities and the large number of employees who will be involved, the resort has decided to take care of its employees' living conditions by providing on-site housing.

Its Team Member Housing buildings, which are adjacent to the resort, will offer private rooms for more than 8,000 employees, along with living facilities that include laundry rooms, cafes, canteens, courier office and a fully equipped spacious fitness center.

Construction of the main structures of 14 of these on-site employee housing buildings has completed.

For the theme park visitors, the UBR will transform rides, attractions and accommodations with digital tools. This is expected to win over the younger generation of consumers and tourists.

Worldwide, theme parks have developed innovative approaches to enrich visitors' immersive experiences and to improve conveniences. For instance, digital wristbands will serve as tickets, and can also be used to reserve restaurant tables and as hotel room keys.

Last year, the resort joined e-commerce giant Alibaba in a bid to provide memorable experiences through each and every stage of the visitors' journey, with the adoption of facial recognition technologies and the use of big data.

The park will use an Alibaba business operating system for park management and operations.

Visitors are able to enter the park, access express lanes and pay for in-park merchandise and meals using facial recognition technology.

As a pilot platform for 5G infrastructure, the UBR will pioneer and implement full 5G network coverage.

The UBR will be the first international theme park in North China, and comes four years after the opening of the Shanghai Disney Resort. Industry insiders said given the vast physical distance that separates the two projects, market competition may not intensify. But, the presence of two big names will definitely help lift the standards for service and quality in the theme park sector in China.

Zhao Huanyan, an analyst at Huamei Hospitality Consulting, said: "The world's two top-notch resorts are greatly pushing up the local theme park industry by bringing global-leading operational experiences and professional know-how, stimulating the progress of theme parks with Chinese cultural elements."

Tourists' experiences at the two resorts can be different though, he said.

Empowered by various popular characters and beloved brands established movie studios have generated worldwide in years, the Shanghai Disney Resort, which re-opened in May following COVID-19-related closures, is mostly appealing to family tourists while the Universal Beijing Resort could attract a wider range of tourists, said Zhao.

Universal's theme parks are known for immersive experiences featuring "highly thrilling" and "technologically advanced" film－and television-based attractions.

The resort has designed world-leading adventure experiences and immersive scenes such as the fictional school Hogwart from the Harry Potter movies, and will likely become an iconic destination for domestic as well as international visitors. UBR's said.

"The Universal Beijing Resort is dedicated to becoming a theme park and resort destination that provides unique, extraordinary and thrilling experiences," Mehrmann added.