AusLeisure

Theme parks in Asia are recording revenues exceeding 2019 levels, recovering from the impact of the pandemic when attendance plunges.

Advising that the resurgence is part of a global trend of rising visits to, and rising revenues in, attractions, International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (IAAPA) Asia Pacific Executive Director and Vice President, June Ko explains “despite the pandemic, inflation and rising costs, we see that people are willing to spend more on the experience, to spend time with family and friends.”

Charting this resurgence, the Association is bringing back its Asia Pacific annual conference, IAAPA Expo Asia, to be held from 13^th to 16^th June in Singapore, at which more than 270 exhibitors will convene for four days, sharing their products and services with an expected 8000 delegates.

Ko advised “this is the IAAPA Asia Expo since the pandemic … we are really happy to bring it back.”

Topics like sustainability, inclusion and trends as well as case studies and best practices will be showcased in an industry where theme park spending is expected to grow at an 8.1% compound annual rate, up to 2025, according to the IAAPA Global Theme and Amusement Park Outlook 2021-2015.

Releasing the report in 2021, IAAPA projected theme park attendance to grow 112%, from a depressed base in 2022, recapturing 68% of the attendance lost in 2020. It projects that it will not be until 2024 before global theme park attendance surpasses 2019 level.

Commenting on Asia’s performance through the pandemic, Hong Kong-based Ko explains “the sector took a really big hit, but a lot of them put efforts into reinventing themselves, to make their rides better, to run better education programmes and they invested in technology.

“Guest behaviour has also changed, so the industry has responded with better systems, better tech and better guest services. But like all industries, we are also facing a manpower challenge, we cannot hire enough people - and we need people to manage the higher expectations of guests.

“Now everyone wants to feel special, everyone has reflected during the pandemic and they expect more attention.”

Another change coming out of the pandemic is the growth and opportunity in the education segment.

Here Ko comments “we see lots of smaller parks merging with education and science centres. They are popping up in China and India to cater to the growing middle class. They are smaller in size and cater to local markets.”

Ko notes another behavioural change is that prior to the pandemic “Hong Kong people did not like to be out in the sun and heat but having gone through Covid, they are starting to enjoy the outdoors and sports-related attractions are becoming more popular. We see wellness and sports as good growth areas.”

In terms of technology adoption, Covid forced a mass acceleration of consumers online and attractions had to follow, stating “people don’t want to queue, they want to pre-purchase tickets and experiences and they want interactive experiences.

“The kind of data and information you can collect on each individual, where they like to go, what kind of games they like - you can create better individual experiences.”.

She said that even before the term ‘metaverse’ was coined, theme parks had been experimenting with virtual worlds, adding “theme parks are about human interaction and face to face. But virtual worlds can extend the experience - for example, after you go home, you can still engage with it.”

Related Articles

16th May 2023 - Hong Kong Disneyland Resort spotlights offerings which led to record high local attendances despite COVID impacts

20th April 2023 - IAAPA positive about state of the global attractions industry

18th April 2023 - IAAPA opens registration for IAAPA Expo Asia 2023

10th March 2023 - Inaugural IAAPA Middle East Trade Summit welcomed more than 700 attendees

18th November 2022 - Vortex International secures 2022 IAAPA Brass Ring Award

18th October 2022 - Global attractions attendance report reveals 2021 as a year of recovery

3rd November 2022 - IAAPA names Jakob Wahl President and Chief Executive

18th November 2022 - Tokyo DisneySea theme park secures Applause Award

1st November 2022 - Shanghai Disney shuts as visitors unable to leave without negative COVID test

15th July 2022 - Mount Faber Leisure Group unveils new attraction for Singapore’s Sentosa Island

10th May 2022 - Experts from Hong Kong Disneyland and URBNSURF to participate in IAAPA virtual conference

24th September 2021 - Global attraction attendance report shows industry resilience in 2020 and the beginnings of recovery

21st December 2020 - Chinese amusement trade exhibitions look forward to 2021

12th December 2020 - ASTM Safety Standards translated into Vietnamese by IAAPA Asia Pacific

10th August 2020 - Resorts World Sentosa uses facial recognition for access at Universal Studios Singapore

5th August 2019 - Reports chart ongoing growth of Chinese theme parks

21st November 2016 - Chinese theme park guests demand convenience

13th November 2014 - June Ko joins IAAPA as Vice President, Asia Pacific Operations

8th February 2012 - Online registration opens for IAAPA Asian Attractions Expo 2012

31st August 2010 - IAAPA Asia Appointment to Expand programs and services

---

Support our industry news service
We hope that you value the news that we publish so while you're here can we ask for your support?

As an independent publisher, we need reader support for our industry news gathering so ask that - if you don't already do so - you back us by subscribing to the printed Australasian Leisure Management magazine and/or our online news.