MARKET REPORT: LATIN AMERICA
Rankings and expansion The Theme Entertainment Association (TEA/AECOM), which created the Theme Index Report, annually publishes a ranking of the most visited parks in the world, divided into theme and water parks, as well as museums. Although Latin American theme parks achieve much more modest numbers than their peers in the United States, Europe and Asia, the same is not true when analyzing water parks. Last year’s Theme Index Report, with data from 2023, places a Brazilian water park in the lead among the most visited worldwide. While Thermas dos Laranjais received 1,954,000 visitors, the most visited water park in North America, Typhoon Lagoon Disney World received 1,898,000 and the highest-ranked European park, Therme Erding, in Germany, was visited by 1,860,000 people. The study highlights that water park
growth in Latin America is strong, with five parks surpassing one million visitors per year. “The Latin American water park
market has been steady and strong, marking its third year of double-digit growth and far exceeding pre-pandemic records,” notes the Theme Index. Among the reasons cited for the success
of water parks in some destinations, such as Brazil, which has six of the ten most visited water parks in Latin America, is the development of new products associated with accommodation, with diversified real estate portfolios, such as fractional products (timeshare). The sectoral overview carried out by Sindepat and Adibra on the Brazilian market also highlights that water parks are emerging as a robust trend also due to the favorable climate. The study indicates that approximately 41% of the supply of theme and water parks are linked to hotel, multi-ownership or timeshare ventures, classified as tourism-real estate projects. Brazil is the address also of the most
visited theme park in Latin America, according to the latest edition of the Theme Index Report, which recorded
2,792,000 visitors in the year. The second and third places are held by the Mexican Six Flags, with 2,021,000, and Xcaret, with 1,637,000 visitors. The Brazilian Hopi Hari appears in fourth place, with 1,039,000, followed by Mundo Aventura, from Colombia, with 1,015,000. The top ten of the most visited Latin American theme parks also includes the Chilean Fantasialandia; the Mundo Petapa, from Guatemala; the Parque Temático Nacional del Café, from Colombia; the Argentine Parque de la Costa; and the El Salitre Magico, from Colombia. Together, they received 12.5 million visitors in 2023, an increase of 20% compared to the previous year.
Parque del Café - Avix
Colombia With three of the most visited parks in Latin America, Colombia has seen recent investments in two of them. At the end of last year, Parque del Café opened Colombia’s first inverted roller coaster, Avix. Made by Gerstlauer, the attraction is an Infinity Coaster model and is 26 meters high with a 355-meter track, reaching speeds of 72 km/h. With an investment of approximately US$7 million, Avix was considered a milestone in the history of the enterprise. “We are very proud to be the first in Colombia to offer an inverted roller coaster,” said the park’s general manager, Pedro Salazar Hoyos. “It is a milestone in the park’s history, which reaffirms its commitment to innovation and the creation of experiences that not only highlight the beauty of our region but also offer moments of fun and excitement for our visitors, in addition to development for our region and country,” he said during the inauguration. The previous year, another Colombian park also ranked among the most visited by TEA/EACOM, El Salitre Magico, opened Drakko, a roller coaster manufactured by Premier Rides. At 47 meters high and with a 263-meter track, the ride can reach speeds of up to 100 km/h. The investment was approximately US$12 million.
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PARK WORLD Handbook & Buyers’ Guide 2024/25
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