Reopening Tokyo Theme Park after COVID-19

On a sultry, drizzly evening in early June 2020 during an unusually long rainy season in Tokyo, Hinata Takahashi, the CEO of Tokyo Theme Park (TTP), was still in her office. She had just finished reading a notice from the Japanese government giving permission for all amusement parks to reopen on July 1, provided they could adhere to social distancing and other health guidelines.

The year 2019 had set a record for TTP visitors, and six months earlier, Takahashi had hoped to exceed that record in 2020. However, the COVID-19 pandemic changed all that and led to the park being closed since March 1. After losing four months of revenue, Takahashi's goal was to maximize the number of visitors for the rest of the year while providing a safe environment and the customer experience for which the park was well-known.