TTG ASIA MARCH 2019
for families and young adults and
that the “technology-driven activi-
ties are ahead of (Singapore’s) neigh-
bours”.
In November last year, Korean vir-
tual reality (VR) theme park Head-
Rock VR made its footprint in Singa-
pore, opening 11 VR rides in Resorts
World Sentosa. The rides span dif-
ferent concepts from adventure to
horror, and will be updated every six
months to a year.
“VR experience has become the
new play culture all over the world.
There is a demand for VR attractions
for both tourists and locals,” said
Park Hong Que, founder and CEO
of Mediafront, the parent company
of HeadRock VR.
Neighbouring attraction Univer-
sal Studios Singapore (USS) has been
stepping up its game with seasonal
events that employ VR and augment-
ed reality (AR) technology.
For example, its TrollsTopia event
– based on DreamWorks Anima-
tion’s movie Trolls – featured two im-
mersive VR experiences where guests
could play a music video game and
create 3D virtual art. In a subsequent
Jurassic World: Explore & Roar
event, USS guests could interact with
dinosaurs on a screen with the help
of AR technology.
During last year’s Halloween
Horror Nights 7 event, USS also
employed AR in its queueing areas,
where guests could use an app to
scan real-world locations to uncover
iconic horror characters on their
phones and activate a game.
“It aided in storytelling behind
each haunted house and kept guests
occupied in the queue,” a Resorts
World Sentosa spokesperson told
TTG Asia.
“In this day and age, there is no
running away from experiment-
ing with new technology in creating
memorable, fun experiences.”
As VR and AR rise in popularity,
the technology must be relevantly
employed, opined Lum. She said:
“Most importantly, parks need to
stay current and ahead with constant
enhancements to sustain the interest
of target markets. (Agencies) want
to see quality, and not quantity.” –
Pamela Chow
China – robust development
Theme park development is continu-
ing to swell in China, with large-scale
attractions by both local and foreign
players opening at a rapid pace.
Industry sources indicated about
64 projects are in the pipeline and
will be subsequently opened between
2019 and 2020. According to AE-
COM, China theme park visitation
will reach 221 million, surpassing
levels in the US.
Last November, Haichang Ocean
Park inaugurated the Shanghai Hai-
chang Ocean Park. Its Sanya Hai-
chang Fantasy Town opened on Jan-
uary 20, 2019.
Their spokesperson noted: “This
means more choices for visitors in
Sanya, especially for visitors who
spend the night in Haitang Bay area.”
Apart from plans to launch Qingy-
uan Chimelong Resort in late 2019
or early 2020, the Chimelong Group
has also finetuned existing offers.
For instance, the second phase of
Zhuhai Chimelong, including a new
REPORT: THEME PARKS 12
hotel and museum, is targeted to
open in mid-2019, while a new cir-
cus entertainment centre will launch
in Zhuhai in 2Q2019.
She said: “Agents can create a
variety of packages to target differ-
ent customers (including families).”
Customised programmes for corpo-
rate and MICE customers, as well as
for students, will also be rolled out.
Meanwhile, Wanda has mapped
out an aggressive expansion plan for
themed entertainment, hotels and
resorts. For instance, the Guangzhou
Wanda City is scheduled to open in
2019, featuring the biggest indoor ski
facility in Southern China with four
ski trails.
Century Holiday International
Travel Group, deputy general man-
ager, Kin Qin, believes there is more
room for growth in the sector.
She said: “It’s because of our huge
population and extensive territory.
More establishments are opening
up in second-tier cities riding on
local culture or ancient tales. I hope
to see these local brands find their
positioning and direction, just like
Chimelong Group’s successful mar-
keting promotion in South-east Asia.
They don’t have to be a Disneyland
but must make sure to meet interna-
tional standards in their facilities.
“I look forward to Universal Stu-
dio opening in Beijing as we haven’t
had new attractions to sell the capital
city for years. Theme parks provide
opportunities to draw repeat visi-
tors.” – Prudence Lui
Japan – land of plenty
Amid the flurry of developments in
Japan’s theme park industry – in-
cluding park enhancements and
Chinese investment – tourism stake-
holders remind that theme parks
should retain a distinct concept and
local elements to continue appealing
to travellers.
In March, the Moomin Valley Park
will open in Hanno, Saitama Prefec-
ture to the north of Tokyo, allowing
visitors to meet fairytale creatures
from the books by Finnish illustrator
Tove Jansson. A park extension offer-
ing a “Scandinavian lifestyle experi-
ence” opened in November.
Significant expansion work is also
underway at Tokyo Disneyland, with
US$656 million pumped
into the Tomorrow-
land and Fantasyland
zones, plus a Beauty
and the Beast mini-
land with a ride
that uses next-
generation ani-
matronics.
Meanwhile, the
Chinese owners
of the Hamleys
chain of toy stores
have entered the Ja-
pan retail market
with two large new
stores, in Yokohama
and Fukuoka, with
merry-go-rounds, play
spaces and gaming
areas. The US$381.7
million project is a joint
venture with Japanese
video game firm Ban-
dai Namco.
The operator of the
Huis Ten Bosch theme
Above: Chime-
long Heng Qin
Island
Below: Giant at
Studio Ghibli
Museum
park in Nagasaki Prefecture, south-
ern Japan, has accepted an offer
of investment from China’s Fosun
Group. Domestic travel giant HIS
will remain the largest shareholder
in the park, but the Fosun Group is
purchasing a 25 per cent share.
“New and better theme parks give
us an opportunity to attract new cus-
tomers to Japan, especially those who
are interested in original Japanese
content,” said Takashi Okamoto,
head of inbound marketing strategy
for travel giant JTB Corp, citing the
Tokyo One Piece Tower and Studio
Ghibli Museum as good examples of
parks that appeal to foreign visitors.
“International theme parks like
Universal Studios Japan (USJ) and
the Disney parks are also popular
with people from countries that do
not have theme parks, while Disney-
Sea and the new Nintendo Land that
is to open at USJ in 2020 are expected
to boost their popularity,” he said.
Okamoto stressed that key to sus-
taining growth in this sector is to
continue to provide facilities “with a
clear concept and featuring contents
that can only be enjoyed in Japan”.
Similarly, Denis Morozov, manag-
er of the inbound division of Tokyo-
based JIC Travel Centre, said: “A park
like the Studio Ghibli Museum or
Edo Wonderland, which are unique
to Japan, are incredibly popular es-
pecially with families.” – Julian Ryall
Thailand – lack of icons
Although Thailand saw the number
of amusement parks soar in recent
years, some industry sources say
these local attractions still lack the
selling power of international brand-
ed options available in regional
rivals.
The Thai Amusement
and Leisure Park Associa-
tion (TAPA) reported that
the surge in water parks in
the past five years resulted
in about 40 such facilities
nationwide.
Pronthip Hirunk-
ate, managing direc-
tor of Destination Asia
(Thailand), argued that
the additional choice for
tourist “helps extend the
length of stay, especially
among Asian repeat
tourists”.
Adith
Chairattana-
non, honorary secretary-
general of the Association
of Thai Travel Agents
(ATTA), remarked that
the high competition
within Thai-
land’s theme park sector has been
beneficial for tour operators and
tourists.
Local theme parks “give the best
value for money in Indochina”, ac-
cording to TAPA president Wuthi-
chai Luangamornlert .
Despite the sector’s expansion,
Wuthichai observed that for tourists,
theme parks were just an additional
option on top of the country’s main
selling points of culture, shopping
and nature.
Adith pointed out that local parks
cannot compete with international
theme parks in the region, such as
Legoland in Malaysia and Universal
Studios in Singapore.
“We want world-class theme
parks in Thailand. They will be pow-
er magnets to attract tourists and al-
low the creation of interesting tour
packages,” said Adith.
This, however, could be a chal-
lenge, with Wuthichai noting that
the heavy investment to bring inter-
national branded parks to Thailand
is infeasible, given the country’s cap
on ticket prices. – Chadamas Chin-
maneevong
India – world-class parks needed
The recent emergence of theme
parks in India is allowing agents to
offer more than just cultural attrac-
tions, although many opine that
theme parks in the country still lag
behind their overseas counterparts.
“India is known as a tourist des-
tination primarily for culture and
heritage. However, new theme parks
offer us an opportunity to provide
other entertainment and recreation
options to guests,” said Subash Goy-
al, chairman, STIC Travel Group.
Many in-mall themed attractions
are opening in India. The Grand
Venice Mall launched its entertain-
ment and gaming zone – Mastiii
Zone, featuring the first zip line ride
of its kind in India.
Ski India, the indoor sci-fi themed
Snow Park was also launched at DLF
Mall of India, Noida, a ski resort rep-
lica offering ski rides, tubing, tobog-
gan, bob sledge, penguin shows and
a snow play area.
According to The Indian Asso-
ciation of Amusement Parks and
Industries, the country’s amusement
and theme park industry has been
growing at a compounded annual
growth rate of more than 17.5 per
cent with annual revenue of approx-
imately Rs17 billion (US$239 mil-
lion), estimated to grow to at least
Rs40 billion by 2020.
“Apart from Delhi NCR, the west-
ern Indian region has also seen the