cases, cancelled altogether, although he notes that JRA is starting to get more inquiries about possible projects, which is hopefully a positive sign. “China remains the hottest region,” he continues, “with
a variety of high profile cultural and leisure projects opening in the past few years. There also seems to be a lot of activity and interest in developing new regional theme parks. In addition, events such as the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games and the current Shanghai Expo 2010 have proven that China can successfully deliver complex, world-class events on an international stage. “Korea also seems to be generating a lot of interest, as
has Malaysia and Singapore. We are also starting to hear from more developers looking to create leisure destinations in largely undeveloped countries such as Vietnam.” And for the future? “As much of the Asian/Far East
market is still underdeveloped in relation to population and sheer geographic size, I think that the theme park industry will continue to grow at a steady pace. Given that India is also beginning to develop larger scale projects, the future seems bright for the international leisure industry.”
Tom Mehrmann, chief executive, Ocean Park, Hong Kong “We have seen tremendous growth in investment and long- term commitment to the investments (in recent years),” states Mehrmann. “Many developments are complemented by real estate developments in the surrounding areas, which generate residential demand, property sales and infrastructure development to support the commercial enterprises. With greater growth in discretionary time and money, we are seeing more tourism, higher levels of expectation and a growing emphasis in the quality of the experience being presented. In 2005 there were approximately 15 world class zoos, aquariums and theme
parks in the Asian market (including China, Japan and SE Asia). Today, there are over 30, with more being discussed for development (Shanghai Disneyland). “Trends we have noticed are towards bigger shows and
productions in the parks, with a real emphasis on quality experiences and supporting themed environments. The investments are significant and the integrated experiences being conceived, designed and executed are of a much higher caliber than was previously seen in the 90s.” And he continued: “It would appear that the economic
situation had very little negative impact on discretionary time and money with the guests in this region. However, the H1N1 virus seemed to have created more concerns for attendance, at a critical time from May 2009 to September 2009, which is the heart of the summer period and led many parks to report less than prior year performance. It would appear now that most parks have rebounded and are indicating better than expected results.” So what countries in the region are currently the most
active with new park developments and what type of projects are being built? And which existing parks/resorts stand out as far as continued investment is concerned? “China appears to be the most active in terms of
Inserat Kirmes 2 von 4_Tilt Tower _Asian_Press.pdf 16.06.2010 14:48:35
developing destination resorts,” Mehrmann comments, “which include everything from theme parks and waterparks, to aquariums and oceanariums. OCT (Overseas Chinese Trust) and Chimelong are both noteworthy in their development plans and objectives for growth. Obviously,
Image courtesy of Resorts World Sentosa
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