MARKET REPORT: LATIN AMERICA
SPECIAL THEME PARKS In Mexico, EcoAlberto Park gives visitors the chance to experience a simulation of what it is like to illegally cross the US border. The objective of the excursion, which lasts almost four hours, is to educate about the dangers of crossing the border and discourage migration. Around 100 people from the park, representing border people, participate in the trip. In Guatemala, the IRTRA private worker's recreation institute incorporates in each of its parks (Xetulul, Xocomil and Mundo Petapa) a tribute to the Maya culture, while Costa Rica and above all in Colombia it is becoming increasingly common to find parks and attractions related to coffee culture.
TIC Park, Bogota
attractions such as snowboarding, airboard and Minizoo, featuring animatronic of extinct species such as mammoths and sabre-toothed tigers. Techno Motion is also the provider of 5D cinemas in Casa X, the Brazilian franchise network of family entertainment centers and children's party places. It is clear that 5D cinema – known elsewhere in the world as 4D but marketed in Latin America with an additional “D” to convince local audiences they are getting a little extra – is only part of the evolution. It seems likely that in the future the experience will be more dynamic and interactive; images will no longer be confined to a screen (or the screen will not be obvious), and audiences will increasingly be able to interact with the media content before them. This February, Mexico's most visited amusement park – Six Flags Mexico – inaugurated Latin America's first virtual reality rollercoaster experience. Ataque Galáctico, which sees the park equipping its steel-wood hybrid coaster Medusa with Samsumg Gear VR headsets to place riders as co-pilots in the cockpit of a fighter jet, flying through a futuristic city in a battle to protect the planet against alien invaders, all while racing along 3,300ft (1km) of real life twisting, turning, looping coaster track. The headsets provide riders with such information such as current weapon status, time codes, fuel cells and a countdown timer. Ataque Galáctico, which follows the introduction of earlier VR coaster experiences from Six Flags at various parks in the USA and Canada, is part of the group's effort to bring new life to attractions using technology that its target market can relate to – and is eager to try. Virtual reality and augmented reality experiences are expected to become increasingly a part of the mix alongside mechanical attractions in the region over the coming years. TIC Park in Bogota, Colombia, already offers a number of both VR and AR concepts under one roof. Employing a variety of electronic devices, a dark ride and also various games, visitors interact with technology but are also taught to think about what that technology is doing to them – a nice mix of fun and education.
PARK WORLD Handbook & Buyers Guide 2017
WATERPARKS Mexico and Brazil are often in dispute regarding first place for the number of waterparks in the region. Recent studies from IAAPA Latin America indicate that the difference is small, however the dispute is won by Mexico. Yet a handful of Brazilian parks (Thermas dos Laranjais, Hot Park Rio Quente, Beach Park, Wet 'n Wild Sao Paulo and Rio Water Planet) boast some of the region's best attendance figures, outperforming even 'dry' theme parks and amusement parks in the country. Joining the Six Flags family in 2017 is Mexico’s Six Flags
Hurricane Harbor Oaxtepec. Located in state of Morelos and formerly known as Aquatic Park Oaxtepec, the 67-acre (27- hectare) park – pictured below– relaunched in February and features a new hybrid waterslide, a multi-level water play structure, a wave pool and a tranquil lazy river, among numerous other attractions.
Astrid González Nariño is communications consultant to ACOLAP (
acoplap.org.co), the Colombian trade association for amusement parks and attractions, and a regular contributor to Park World.
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