WATERPARKS
addition to the beach. Both tourists and residents want a new kind of experience.” Perjesi, who’s from Hungary, is
director of Csenki Co, and the company (like Amazone Falls) has benefited from support from the Thailand Board of Investment (BOI), which provides incentives for entrepreneurism.
INCENTIVES The government agency helps domestic and foreign businesses set up operations in Thailand. The agency encourages investment in the country by offering a range of incentives, which include corporate income tax exemption and tariff exemption or reduced tariffs on importing machinery and materials. The BOI also helps foreigners get permission to own their own company and land, and gain exemption from work permit and visa rules. “Thailand is a safe country for
investments. BOI privilege means support from the Thai government,” says Perjesi. Thailand’s government has been doing
what it can to encourage the development of this type of attraction, announcing in 2013 that more manmade tourist sites were needed to add value to tourism. The government believes the time is right to build these attractions, as investments are being made in the nation’s infrastructure and transport systems. “Another benefit for the Ministry
of Tourism and Sports is that the introduction of more manmade attractions can help delay the erosion of beaches and coastlines,” Dhanji says. “They want to see if more manmade attractions will help take some of the pressure off natural sites, and Cartoon Network Amazone is an attempt to do that.” The TAT and the tourism ministry have been promoting the animation-themed waterpark, keen to show off the globally
AN EXPERT VIEW
Alan Mahony, director at Mahony DMC, is a waterpark industry expert who’s worked in Asia since the mid-1990s. He oversees design
management and advises on the development of operations for waterparks. He was a consultant on Chimelong Waterpark, Guangzhou, Beijing Watercube Waterpark, and Ramayana. He says:
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l Family outings are very important to Thais, so parks need a quality ride selection to cater for all ages with high levels of safety. l The waterpark experience needs to be about more than just the rides: there needs to be entertainment, quality F&B plus shaded relaxation areas. l On entering the market it’s critical to research the
consumer, the competition, possible sales channels and audience mix to produce a marketing strategy. l From your research, the guidelines for the waterpark’s parameters should be estab- lished. These parameters need to cover the size of the water- park, waterslide selection and suppliers, plus the guest experience from entry to exit.
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l The Thai market has great potential for growth, but as we’ve seen in the market in China, it’s important to get the formula correct. Waterparks need to be properly designed, using the correct ride mix and quality international suppliers and then followed up with a professional operation offering the highest standards in service and safety.
AM 1 2015 ©Cybertrek 2015
Ramayana willl be one of Thailand’s major leisure experiences with three pools and 50 attractions
recognised brand and characters like Ben 10 and Gumball. “Cartoon Network Amazone is being promoted as a must- see destination to Japanese, Chinese and Malaysian tourists. It’s being actively supported,” Dhanji says.
SAFETY FIRST Another upcoming waterpark, scheduled to open in mid-2015, is Ramayana, which is also in Pattaya. The BOI-certified $50m-plus (£32m, €44m) attraction,
owned by a group of private investors, has likewise “received strong endorsement and support from the local Thai authorities,” says Johannes Pattermann, Ramayana’s director of marketing and sales. “There are concrete plans in place to invite the public to participate in the project: in line with Thai regulations, Ramayana plans an IPO in 2016.” It’s on course for a big future.
Ramayana will be the largest waterpark in Southeast Asia, and it expects to attract
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