“China and key markets in Asia have a significant development
pipeline compared to anywhere else in the world,” said Christian Aaen, regional director of AECOM’s Asia division. “The opening of Universal Studios Singapore in the first quarter of 2010 marked the beginning of the new decade where Asia will dominate and remain the primary region for future growth of the industry in terms of new development potential.” Regardless of Asia’s unimpeached growth, it must be kept in mind
that US theme parks remain the boilerplate for installations elsewhere. Brand power is key and while many developments in Asia have their own localised idiosyncrasies, most of the successful resorts in the continent are operated by the US-headquartered behemoths and largely modelled on their western forebears. Running parallel to this, the core demographic of parks in Japan,
Hong Kong, Singapore and elsewhere are primarily consumers who live in the immediate region and not westerners looking for something new. Rather than fret about the growth in Asia’s theme park industry effectively cannibalising their domestic operations, US site owners should instead continue to focus on innovation, an increased product mix and an emphasis on ancillary services, particularly as the “staycation” trend is becoming more apparent in the US. Of course, the Asian powerhouse is not something to be
overlooked, but the fact that the biggest parks in the continent are operated by US groups ensures a two-way flow of information and ideas. In this respect, the growth of Asia should be seen as a good thing for the global theme park industry as a whole. Ultimately, in an ironic twist of fate, just as the US started
to haul itself out of the crushing recession, New York City authorities announced sweeping plans to redevelop Coney Island’s dilapidated amusement site. And now, after luring a record 400,000 visitors this summer alone, one is left to wonder whether the US amusement industry will once again grow to match an icon as symbolic and thought-provoking as the Statue of Liberty.
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Still on top: Disney remains a household name around the world
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