numbers and may surpass it — perhaps within a decade.
•
Third, the attractions industry in Asia is coming into its own in terms of outstanding and unique creativity, trend-setting, and business / development models. Reinvestment in Asian parks in 2011 has raised the bar not just on the specific properties but for the entire industry. Integrated resorts and an emphasis on lavish theatricals have earned accolades as well as patronage, and point to the future. Already we are seeing operators launch new attractions in Asia before North America, as with Universal’s new TransformersTM
ride.
Let’s hear more about those North American numbers.
As mentioned, North America grew at 2.9 percent this year, although a considerable portion of this growth was driven by the success of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter land at Universal Studios Florida; without Harry Potter, North America grew at 1.6 percent. That 1.6 percent figure points to continued, slow economic recovery from the recession and modest attendance growth for most parks, in a mature market. This is seen not just in park attendance figures but also in tourism numbers. The major markets of Los Angeles and Orlando are up in the middle single digit percentages, reflective of these large, mature markets. The numbers are nevertheless encouraging when you take into account that domestic spending is still subject to downward pressure: real estate hasn’t recovered, the equity in homes is not what it used to be, and consumers in general are cautious.
It takes guts to invest in the teeth of a recession, and it’s these bold management moves that have led to the success of our leaders this year. It’s difficult for operators to time reinvestment; it takes time to get something designed and built, and it’s impossible to exactly gauge the best time to open in terms of the
p7
127m 2.9%
198.1m 4.8%
Top 25 parks worldwide growth
Top 25 parks worldwide attendance
North America top 20 parks attendance
North America top 20 parks growth
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