The Sanrio Hello Kitty Town in Johor Bahru, Malaysia is closing down on Dec. 31, 2019.

The reason: A lack of tourists.

News of the impending closure was reported by Oriental Daily.

Declining number of visitors

The Hello Kitty Town was built in 2012 at a cost of RM110 million (S$36 million).

Located in Nusajaya, Malaysia, it is the first one outside of Japan.

However, since it’s opening, the number of visitors have declined every year.

This is likely due to the novelty of the park wearing off over the years.

Theme park operators told Johor Women Development and Tourism Committee chairman Liow Cai Tung that the closure was due to the number of tourists not meeting expected targets.

However, the other theme parks in the vicinity of Hello Kitty Town are expected to continue operations.

Other theme parks to go on

The Hello Kitty theme park is located in the Puteri Harbour Family Theme Park, which is 10 minutes from Legoland Malaysia by car.

Both Puteri Harbour and Legoland theme parks have been attractions visited by Singaporeans and their families on day trips to Malaysia.

Puteri Harbour Family Theme Park also houses the Thomas Town theme park, which features Thomas the Tank Engine, Barney and Bob the Builder among other characters.

These other character-based theme parks are located just above the Hello Kitty Town in the same building, and they together form part of the Puteri Harbour Family Theme Park.

Tickets to each park is RM89 (S$29), or RM131 (S$43) for a two-park pass.

Puteri Harbour Family Theme Park is a 35-minute drive away from Woodlands Checkpoint.

Address: Persiaran Puteri Selatan, Puteri Harbour, 79000 Nusajaya, Johor

Opening hours: 10am – 6pm daily (except Tuesdays)

Contact: +607 5630 2701