WATERPARKS SIX WATERPARKS TO WATCH Cartoon Network Amazone
Developer: Amazone Falls Location: Bang Saray, Pattaya Cost: $31m (£20m, €27m) Open: 2014 Suppliers: Polin, Neptune Benson, FlowRider, Murphy’s Waves Ticketing: Centaman
Ramayana
Developer: Cornerstone Management; JWS Construction Location: Na Jomtien, Pattaya Cost: $46m (£30.5m, €40.5m) Open: 2015 Suppliers: WhiteWater West, Pentair Designers: Hassell Architects Ticketing: Gateway
Phuket Aquapark
Developer: Csenki Co Location: Kathu, Phuket Cost: $25m (£16m, €22m) Open: 2015 Suppliers: Polin Ticketing: Not confirmed
Vana Nava Hua Hin
Developer: Proud Real Estate Location: Nong Kae, Hua Hin Cost: $31m (£20m, €27m) Open: 2014 Suppliers: WhiteWater West, WhiteWater Attractions Designers: A49 Design, Belt Collins Ticketing: Centaman
Dino Waterpark
Developer: Dino Park Co Ltd / Arin Construction Location: Khon Kaen Cost: $60m (£39m, €52m) Open: 2015 Suppliers: Polin, Murphy’s Waves, Atlantis Pool Systems Designers: W-Design Consultant, P&F Ticketing: Not confirmed
Samui Water & Adventure Park
Developer: AVAR (Thailand) Co Ltd Location: Khon Kaen Cost: $31m (£20m, €27m) Open: 2015 Suppliers: Polin Designers: Polin Ticketing: Not confirmed
Phuket Aquapark is expected to open in Kathu, in central Phuket, this year
“ THAILAND IS DISCOVERING THE ECONOMIC AND VALUE BENEFITS OF INTRODUCING MORE TOP-GRADE MANMADE ATTRACTIONS TO TOURIST-HEAVY AREAS ”
who often love water but find the ocean can be daunting. A waterpark lets them enjoy the water without the risk.” “It’s going to be a growing trend in Asia because it’s an immersive, engaging experience that brings the whole family together for the whole day,” he says. “The industry is going to boom in Asia.” Pattermann agrees that the industry has
plenty of room to grow. “There’s a market gap for high quality attractions,” he says. “Both local residents and foreign tourists want places which combine activity and leisure with uncompromising safety.” At Ramayana, extensive qualitative and quantitative market research was carried out before the project began. The research revealed nine out of 10 Thais are concerned about safety aspects of both slides and of the water, while foreigners are less concerned about safety than they are with the type and selection of rides. “Thais are currently quite cautious when it comes to waterparks,” explains Pattermann. “They’ve heard about bad experiences and therefore the safety of a waterpark is absolutely key to them. They relate safety not only to slides, but equally to the quality of water used in the park.” To allay those fears, Ramayana will use
clear drinking water from on-site natural wells paired with Pentair’s state-of-the- art filtration system. Thais also want to relax at the waterpark, demonstrating that most people would look for leisure and recreational activities beyond water slides. “There’s huge demand for high quality waterparks in Thailand,” says Pattermann.
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“But, a small city waterpark with views of the motorway and no regard for quality will not be a successful proposition here.”
THAILAND’S CHALLENGES Of course there are challenges, and it’s not necessarily smooth sailing ahead for either the waterpark or tourism industries. The country’s prone to political volatility – officially it’s been under martial law since the junta took control last summer – and when a coup takes place, hundreds of thousands of visitors reroute. There’s rising competition from neighbours, with Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam vying for tourists’ dollars; and Thailand’s infrastructure needs improvement if it’s to cope effectively with the volume of tourists. Tourism has been hit by the Russian
situation, as sanctions and the fall of the rouble have had a knock-on effect on one of Thailand’s biggest markets; Phuket and Pattaya had become especially popular with Russian holidaymakers. “The significant drop in Russian tourists is not going to be short term,” says Dhanji. Thailand is doing what it can to mod-
ernise its tourism industry and at the same time it’s discovering the economic and value benefits of introducing more top-grade manmade attractions to tourist- heavy areas. It must nurture its tourism industry if it’s to remain competitive. “New government initiatives like clearing
beaches and organising public transport have been applauded by international visitors,” Pattermann says. “They’ll come to Thailand more than ever before.” l
AM 1 2015 ©Cybertrek 2015
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