Spain’s Parques Reunidos to buy Ananda Krishnan's German tropical resort, says report

KUALA LUMPUR (Dec 12): Spanish firm Parques Reunidos Servicios Centrales SA has reached an agreement with “a holding company” of tycoon T. Ananda Krishnan to buy Tropical Islands Resort in Germany, reported Bloomberg today.

Tanjong Plc, an entity linked to Ananda, owns the controlling stake in Tropical Islands Resort, while the tycoon’s business partner Colin Au holds the remainder.

The deal is awaiting clearance from the German authorities and “other regulatory approvals”.

It was reported back in April that Ananda was “considering the sale of a tropical-themed holiday resort in Germany”.

“Krishnan and business partner Colin Au are working with an investment bank to gauge interest in Tropical Islands Resort in Brandenburg, which houses the world’s largest indoor rainforest,” Bloomberg reported “people familiar with the matter” as saying back then.

These people said that talks have been held with potential buyers “which could fetch as much as 300 million euros (RM1.43 billion).”

According to reports, Parques Reunidos Servicios Centrales operates more than 50 leisure parks in almost a dozen countries. They include theme and amusement parks, zoos, water parks, family entertainment centres and cable cars.

Tropical Islands Resort is famous for having the largest indoor waterpark in the world and is located in the former Brand-Briesen Airfield in the municipality of Halbe, which is about 50km south of the German capital of Berlin.

The airfield was used by the wartime Luftwaffe (German Air Force) and was later occupied by the Soviets at the end of the World War 2 in Europe. The airfield was later returned to the Federal Government of Germany with the reunification of the country after the fall of the Berlin Wall.

The resort can host more than 8,000 visitors a day.