Association upbeat on growth outlook for amusement parks
However, a labour shortage remains an obstacle for the industry following the pandemic.
Jack Chan, vice-president and executive director of IAAPA Asia-Pacific, said industry growth has been buoyed by a growing middle class in the region, urbanisation and rising demand for high-quality leisure activities.
The association expects robust growth for the industry through to 2028, said Mr Chan.
"As long as the industry focuses on innovation, I think it's pretty resilient," he said.
According to IAAPA, theme and amusement parks in this region are expected to draw more than 425 million visitors, generating expenditure tallying US$19 billion by the end of this year.
Mr Chan said many operators have been investing in tailoring experiences for guests, such as adopting immersive experiences and utilising local festivals as their themes.
He said this practice enables visitors to engage in festive events in the parks, such as Chinese New Year, Christmas, Halloween or even Songkran celebrations.
These are cultural experiences that relate to local visitors and offer foreigners the opportunity to learn more about the country.
He said technology helps leverage the guest experience, citing the the example of a virtual queuing system that helps visitors spend time elsewhere while waiting for the opportunity to enter, along with a software application that helps tailor tour itineraries.
New technology can also be used to enhance the visitor experience. One such example involves making roller coaster rides run faster and the experience feel scarier and more exciting.
As many visitors to theme and amusement parks these days are millennials and members of Generation Z, who tend to opt for a personalisation experience that can be shared via social media, operators are purposely developing their programmes in order to attract their attention, which would lead to more frequent visits every year, he said.
Regarding competition between theme parks that feature a well known intellectual property (IP) brand, such as Disneyland, and non-branded parks, Mr Chan said these distinct categories complement each other rather than compete with each other.
He said IP-branded parks may have stronger brand loyalty, but they also have more restrictions when it comes to design, whereas non-branded operators have greater flexibility to create their own journey, and these are thriving in many markets as the operators understand their customers.
Developers are continuing to invest in new attractions this year, including Legoland Shanghai, and the safari-style Qingyuan Chimelong Resort, said Mr Chan.
On the subject of the Chinese outbound market, Mr Chan said operators in Asia have started to restore the Chinese market, although it may take longer than predicted earlier to reach the level seen prior to the pandemic.
A more critical issue is how to attract this market in the long run, such as by providing language translation services, or organising unique events.
Other challenges for the sector include the labour shortage, which began during the pandemic as many workers opted for other jobs that allowed them to work remotely, according to Mr Chan.
However, he said the industry is in a good position to compete for talent, as it offers several job opportunities.
The association provides training and networking events for young professionals.
The group held the IAAPA Expo Asia in Shanghai from June 30 to July 3, which attracted more than 300 exhibitors.
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