Aquatica opens Mar. 1, 2008 By DONNA BALANCIA for GANNETT

Aquatica, which will open Mar. 1, will draw more tourists, said Joe Couciero, chief marketing officer for Busch Entertainment.

His remarks came during a breakfast meeting organized by Orlando/Orange County Convention & Visitors Bureau, which was followed by a brief tour of the 59-acre water park.

About 100 Orlando-area business owners and tourism representatives attended the event. Couceiro said Aquatica will be different from existing theme parks and existing water parks.

“What we want to do is to have a quality consumer experience,” he said. “You have fun in the water and you’re surrounded by marine life. It’s meant to be a beautiful experience — serene to extreme.”