As theme parks flourish in Asia, expert producers urge differentiation through storyline
Chimelong Ocean Kingdom
The year 2012 was a bountiful year for most of Asia-Pacific’s top 20 theme parks, with total attendance rising 5.8 per cent to 108.7 million visitors, according to the 2012 Theme Index Global Attractions Attendance Report by the Themed Entertainment Association and the Economics Practice at AECOM.
The year before that was rosy too, with the region’s top 20 players registering a total of 103.2 million visitors, up from 2010’s 96.1 million. That was despite the dip in attendance at Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo Disney Sea (-3.2 per cent and -5.8 per cent respectively) in the aftermath of the 2011 Tohoku Earthquake. In fact, according to the 2011 Theme Index, the year was described as a bumper year for the region’s industry.
Industry players agree that the robust performance of Asia’s theme parks is due largely to the growing affluence of Asian consumers.
Mario O Mamon, vice chairman of the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (IAAPA), noted that the region itself, with a population of 4.1 billion, provided a strong feeder market for Asian playgrounds.
Mamon, who is also chairman and president of Enchanted Kingdom theme park in the Philippines, added: “Furthermore, the exponential growth of low-cost carriers in this region has enabled more people to travel and make frequent trips. They want new attractions and experiences, thus creating a great need for theme parks to innovate.”
The crucial need to retain novelty is further compounded by the emergence of new attractions in the region and beyond.
Will Morey, chairman of IAAPA, and president/CEO of Morey’s Piers in Wildwood, New Jersey, US, described the growth of Asia’s attractions industry as amazing, pointing to the number of major projects on the horizon such as Shanghai Disney Resort and Chimelong Ocean Kingdom in Zhuhai, China.
The race to outdo existing and upcoming attractions has created a “category of clients who want everything yesterday”, said Edward S Marks, executive and co-CEO of The Producers Group, a global attraction development and production specialist.
“These clients are willing to lose some originality (in order to open quick). They tend to point at existing attractions and say ‘we want one of those’. They are not a good fit for my company, as we design ideas,” said Marks. “We are also seeing a big trend worldwide towards media-driven attractions – rides that utilise 3D, 4D technology, for instance – and some attractions in China are completely media-driven.”
Theme park producers have, however, warned against relying heavily on high-tech rides to draw visitors. Karlson Yang, international business manager of Playfun Culture & Technology Co Shenzhen, which plans and designs amusement projects in China, explained simply: “Technology is easy to replicate.”
Natasha Varnica, CEO, global business development of US-based IdeAttack, said: “There is too much emphasis on the use of technology in theme parks. Any developer can create a high-tech ride or product that requires visitors to touch a screen and get a reaction, but few can perfect a unique storyline.”
Varnica pointed out that having a unique storyline was all the more important now, as “the young generation today is addicted to video games and game apps on smartphones”.
“One of the biggest challenges facing theme park developers today is to come up with a compelling experience that a video game or game app cannot provide,” she said.
Marks concurs, adding that the storyline is “the most overlooked aspect” of a theme park, a problem prevalent in Asia.
Fortunately, the growing presence of new, world-class theme parks and attractions in Asia is a boon for the industry, as it helps to raise the standards of properties, opined Paul Noland, president and CEO of IAAPA. He said: “The presence of world-class attractions helps to expand the market, as they educate the market on what truly world-class attractions are.”
Varnica said: “The positive effects of competition will be seen in China, when Shanghai Disney Resort opens. Theme park developers will be forced to raise their standards.”
According to Yang, the maturity of Chinese theme park developers and owners is already happening. “Future theme parks in China are already focusing on using the local culture and history to build a unique storyline, instead of just buying the latest high-tech rides.”
Numbers that matter
9 Of the top 20 amusement/theme parks in Asia-Pacific, determined by attendance figures, nine are in China. The strongest performing attraction is OCT East in Shenzhen, which drew 4.2 million visitors in 2012 and ranked ninth on the chart.
16 The number, in million, of people who visited Asia-Pacific’s top 15 water parks in 2012, registering a 7.4 per cent growth. This is the first time Asian water park attendance has surpassed that of North America.
From left: Cartoon Network Amazone; rest and play amid a scenic, natural environment at Villages Nature in Paris; hildren can fulfil various career ambitions at KidZania Singapore
Future wonderlands
Families and thrill-seekers are in for a treat, as new theme parks are emerging in exciting destinations across the world. TTG Asia highlights some of the attractions that will come online in the near future.
Cartoon Network Amazone, Thailand
Turner Broadcasting System Asia Pacific, which operates multiple TV channels across Asia, is breaking new ground with the opening of the world’s first Cartoon Network-themed waterpark in Thailand.
Cartoon Network Amazone is scheduled to open in 1H2014 – later than the previously planned late-2013 launch – in Bang Saray, 10km south of Pattaya on the east coast of Thailand. The attraction covers about six hectares of coastal plains and is being developed in conjunction with Thailand’s Amazon Falls Co.
The waterpark takes inspiration from the Amazon rainforest and more directly, from characters on the Cartoon Network channel. Its 150 water attractions, some soaring over 20m into the air, are divided into 10 themed zones and include The Omniverse; Adventure Zone; Cartoonival; Riptide Rapids; Mega Wave and Surfarena. The rides introduce popular characters such as Ben 10 and The Powerpuff Girls.
Visitors can also enjoy an international selection of cuisine at Foodville.
CEO of Amazon Falls Co, Liakat Dhanji, said: “We anticipate approximately one million guests in our first year of operation, or an average of nearly 3,000 guests per day. We expect half of them to be Thai residents living within a 120km radius of the waterpark. The rest of our guests are likely to comprise international visitors, primarily from Russia, South-east Asia and China.”
The projected guest numbers will be welcome news for hotels and nearby attractions in the region, as families make multiple day trips to the area. Resorts such as The Tamarind, Palm Grove Resort and Sunset Park Resort & Spa will be well placed to serve large groups and families.– David Andrews
Chimelong Ocean Kingdom, China
Hengqin Island, one of the largest islands of Zhuhai, Guangdong province, will see the completion of phase one of the massive Chimelong Ocean Kingdom theme park later this year.
The attraction will comprise eight themed areas, each boasting unique rides, performances and animal shows. Highlights include what is said to be the world’s largest cetacea and shark aquarium, which will have capacity for 23,000m3 of sea water, as well as a two-kilometre roller coaster that will weave above ground and under, allowing visitors to enjoy sightings of polar bears and sharks.
For the convenience of theme park visitors, the complex will also feature the 1,888-room Chimelong Hengqin Bay Hotel. It will be among the first facilities to be ready, opening this month. Other facilities at the hotel include several dining destinations, a 3,000m2 ballroom, a 1,300m2 ballroom, 26 meeting rooms, an executive club lounge and a spa. These facilities, in addition to the recreational options offered by the theme park, make the complex suitable for incentive and teambuilding programmes.
To drive awareness of the new attraction, Chimelong Group will participate in the 2014 Chinese New Year Parade in Hong Kong, among other marketing initiatives.
Perfect Tours Taiwan’s planning manager, Tiffany Wu, believes that Chimelong Ocean Kingdom will enhance the appeal of Hengqin Island and Zhuhai. “Zhuhai is perceived as a low-class tourist destination among the Taiwanese. With a new product like Chimelong Ocean Kingdom, Taiwanese travellers, who love novel ideas, will be drawn to the area,” said Wu.– Prudence Lui
Enchanted Kingdom, the Philippines
Details are being worked out for a 10-year expansion masterplan that will transform Enchanted Kingdom, said to be the Philippines’ first and only world-class theme park, into an integrated resort with new attractions, commercial space, hotels and a convention centre.
Explaining the purpose of the redevelopment, Mario Mamon, president of the attraction in Santa Rosa City, Laguna, told TTG Asia: “We felt it is now time for us to realise our dream of turning our stand-alone theme park into an integrated resort concept – but without a gaming component. We like to follow the Disney model and have a product that offers wholesome family entertainment.
“We were able to acquire more land around the Enchanted Kingdom. It is now a 10-hectare park, but it will cover 35-40 hectares after expansion. I expect the first new attraction to open by end-2014 and the rest will open progressively.”
The future Enchanted Kingdom will feature a new attraction zone themed around the local culture, which will serve to “showcase (the Philippines) to the growing number of foreign inbound visitors and educate young Filipino children on their own culture”, revealed Mamon.
A new village showcasing Enchanted Kingdom’s mascot, Eldar the Wizard, and focusing on imparting family values is also being planned, along with a water park, retail and F&B space, two or three hotels with a target inventory of 500 to 1,000 rooms, and a convention centre with a main hall of at least 10,000m2.
“This development will…encourage our visitors to stay over the weekend. Our visitors now spend an average of four to six hours here, which is so because we have no hotels to offer them,” said Mamon, adding that the convention centre will allow the company to target business events and corporate groups.
Meanwhile, the Enchanted Kingdom has partnered a local film company to launch a new attraction later this month. It will be themed after Shake, Rattle & Roll 13, a popular local horror suspense film. – Karen Yue
Villages Nature, France
An idea that sparked between Pierre & Vacances Center Parcs and Euro Disney in 2003 led to the joint development of Villages Nature, an eco-friendly resort in Paris that will comprise more than 2,000 cottages and apartments, an iconic 2,500m2 outdoor geothermal lagoon, a waterpark, lush gardens, footpaths, a horse-back riding trail and an organic farm with educational activities for children.
Villages Nature will sit six kilometres south of Disneyland Paris and close to the La Vallée Village outlet shopping destination, making it a “very convenient retreat for travellers who still wish to be among the highlights of Paris”, said Pierre & Vacances CEO, Isabelle Wavrechin.
Phase one of Villages Nature, which will cover 180 hectares and include 1,730 cottages and apartments, a lakefront promenade with shops and themed restaurants as well as most of the recreational facilities, is expected to complete in 2016.
To fulfil Villages Nature’s sustainable commitment, 90 per cent of the resort will be retained as green space, construction will rely on sustainable methods and materials, 75 per cent of organic waste will be made into compost, geothermal energy will be used to supply heat across the resort and motorised vehicles will be prohibited in the compound, among other things.
“We will ask our guests to use the foot paths and the bike and horse-back riding trails instead. With such beautiful landscaping, going around the resort on foot, bicycles or horses will be very enjoyable and relaxing,” said Wavrechin.
“Villages Nature will be a familiy-oriented property,” she added. “It will appeal to Asians who tend to travel as one big family. With families in mind, our cottages and apartments are designed with well-equipped kitchens.” – Karen Yue
The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, Japan
Universal Studios Japan in Osaka is keeping its adventures fresh for theme park fans with the creation of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter. Slated to open late-2014, the new attraction zone will be the first of its kind outside the US. Costing approximately US$482 million to build, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter will house replicas of Hogwarts and Hogsmeade Village, and several rides that have already won the hearts of Harry Potter fans in the Orlando theme park.
KidZania Singapore
Singapore will offer another option for families with the opening of an indoor edutainment theme park for children on Sentosa island in 2015.
KidZania Singapore will be the anchor tenant of the new Family Entertainment Centre at Palawan Beach and will span 7,600m2, with capacity for 1,700 people at any one time. It has an annual target of 500,000 visitors.
The park is a kid-sized city where children aged four to 14 can role-play more than 90 different occupations, earn ‘money’ to pay for goods and services, and manage an ATM card.
Originally a Mexican concept, the S$90 million (US$70.5 million) Singapore franchise is owned by Malaysian company, Themed Attractions and Resorts, which also owns and manages KidZania Kuala Lumpur, and Legoland and Hello Kitty Town in Johor.
To ensure a unique flavour for distinction from other KidZania theme parks, Themed Attractions vice president for branding and group communications, Waikuan Wong, said KidZania Singapore would offer “localised and international role-play activities”.
Six industry partners have so far been secured for KidZania Singapore, namely Maybank, Discovery Networks Asia-Pacific, Yakult, Canon, The Soup Spoon and Killiney Kopitiam – the latter two being local F&B companies.
Through a pretend environment, Maybank will teach children financial literacy; Discovery Networks Asia-Pacific, behind-the-scene filmmaking; Yakult, lab research work; Canon, photographic know-how; and The Soup Spoon, healthy eating and cooking.
Killiney Kopitiam comes in as F&B retailer for the park.
Themed Attractions will continue to forge partnerships with more industry brands during the period leading up to the park’s opening. It is targeting 30-plus partners.
Themed Attractions’ plan is “not to compete with the other more established attractions in Singapore but rather, complement them”, according to Wong.
He added: “Unlike other theme parks, Kidzania will not offer any rides or arcade games.”
Wong said Themed Attractions would be working with industry partners, Singapore Tourism Board and Sentosa Development Corporation, on a series of pre-opening marketing campaigns. – Kathy Neo
