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 and create a greater interest among consumers in theme park-based holidays, opined industry leaders at the Asian Attractions Expo 2013.

Speaking at the expo at Marina Bay Sands Singapore, Paul Noland, president and CEO of the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (IAAPA), said: “The presence of world-class attractions helps to expand the market, as they educate the market on what truly world-class attractions are.”

While acknowledging that competition between attractions exists, Nolan observed that the benefits were more prominent.

“When Disneyland first opened in southern California, just down the road from Knott’s Berry Farm (one of the earliest amusement parks), people said ‘Oh, Knott’s Berry Farm is going to close’. But attendance at Knott’s Berry Farm went up because more people now knew what a theme park is…and were coming to southern California just for a theme park-based vacation.”

“Similarly, when Hong Kong Disneyland opened, people said Ocean Park might as well close. But Ocean Park is doing better than ever before because it learned a few things, it changed, it expanded.”

Noland pointed out that theme park attendance in Asia had thus also “grown tremendously” in recent years.

According to US-based AECOM’s latest report on global amusement park and attraction attendance for 2012, Asian properties saw a 5.8 per increase in visitorship to 108.7 million. In comparison US attractions recorded a 3.6 per cent rise to 131.5 million visitors, while Europe registered a 0.3 per cent slide to 58 million attendees.

Will Morey, chairman of IAAPA, and president and 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.

He said: “The enemy is not in the number of attractions. The enemy is in attractions (themselves) when they do not (differentiate). Designers and owners must focus on the authenticity of their attractions.”

Morey added that attractions must “innovate and be creative” when faced with challenges.

Edward S Marks, executive producer and co-CEO of US-based The Producers Group, an international attraction development and production company involved in several successful attractions such as Crane Dance at Resorts World Sentosa and Universal Studios Japan, said attractions should aim to “come up with something new every year” to stay competitive and fresh for repeat visitors.

FINAL touches are now being made to an 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 e-Daily: “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 once the expansion is complete. 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 focused 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 transform Enchanted Kingdom and encourage our visitors to stay over the weekend. Our visitors now spend an average of four to six hours, 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.

“There isn’t a convention facility south of Metro Manila, and we will fill that gap,” he said.

The masterplan will be finalised in 3Q2013.

IT&CMA and CTW Asia-Pacific will build on its past success to increase trade conducted as a result of the event, while introducing a host of new innovations for buyers and exhibitors alike, said the organiser.

The world’s only double-billed MICE and corporate travel event will celebrate its 10^th year of co-location when it opens its doors at Centara Grand Bangkok Convention Centre from September 30 to October 3.

A recent survey showed that almost 70 per cent of buyers who attended last year’s event made purchases totalling more than US$45 million within six months, with related sales expected to push the total to more than US$120 million within the next half-year.

Speaking at the event preview in Bangkok on Tuesday, Darren Ng, managing director of TTG Asia Media, the event’s organiser, said IT&CMA and CTW Asia-Pacific 2013 was expected to yield greater benefits for delegates, especially those from Thailand, not only in terms of sales and acquisitions, but also through other valued-added innovations.

“The cost effectiveness of meeting qualified buyers from around the world on home ground makes participating at IT&CMA and CTW Asia-Pacific an opportunity not to be missed,” he said.

Meeting face-to-face was even more important in the digital age, said Sumate Sudasna, president of the Thailand Incentive and Convention Association.

“Attending (the trade event) is especially crucial because of the emergence of ecommerce where every week a new product and application is being developed and launched. As professionals we know that meeting face-to-face is the most important part of our business efforts so we can put a face to the emails or WhatsApp messages.”

Ng said a number of key initiatives will be launched this year, including:

– An online diary capable of scheduling 100 per cent of appointments, which provides also messaging services for buyers and sellers

– Association Day & Performance Improvement Forum held in collaboration with MCI Group to provide seminar sessions and structured business appointments

– A Luxury Post-show Tour for about 20 international luxury buyers to showcase Thailand’s luxury MICE and travel offerings during a 4D/3N tour

The Thai pavilion will be the largest destination showcase at the event with 375m² of floor space, while special packages will be introduced for Thai buyers and exhibitors to entice participation.

BANGKOK Airways and British Airways (BA) have inked an agreement to codeshare on flights to Thailand.

BA customers will be able to purchase flights from London-Heathrow to Phuket, Koh Samui or Chiang Mai, via Bangkok. Bangkok Airways will also codeshare with BA on the latter’s Singapore-Koh Samui service.

The British carrier flies daily to Bangkok and twice-daily to Singapore, with the Bangkok service to depart from Heathrow Airport’s Terminal Five from October onwards.

Steve Ronald, head of alliances, BA, commented: “The beautiful beaches of Thailand will be more accessible to European tourists now that we have teamed up with Bangkok Airways. The move of our Bangkok service to Heathrow’s Terminal Five will also serve to streamline connections between Europe and the Far East.”

Bangkok Airway’s senior vice president network management, Peter Wiesner, said: “We believe this partnership will offer a unique advantage for BA’s customers who will enjoy our unparalleled services, which include free lounge access, in-flight meals and more.”

SINGAPORE Airlines (SIA), Changi Airport Group (CAG) and South African Tourism have signed an agreement to collectively invest S$1 million (US$800,154) for the promotion of travel to South Africa.

The sum, which will come in cash and in kind, will go towards advertising, campaigns and fam trips for media and trade representatives over the next one year.

SIA operates daily flights to Johannesburg and four-weekly flights to Cape Town, out of Singapore Changi Airport.

South African Tourism CEO, Thulani Nzima, said: “We have aggressively sought tourism growth from emerging markets such as Australasia, a region in which we grew 25.1 per cent and attracted 541,253 tourists in 2012.

“Singapore is an extremely important hub for us in the Australasia region and this agreement with Changi Airport and SIA is part of our commitment to co-operate with some of the world’s leading global tourism industry players to stimulate growth to South Africa.”