Hot on the heels of the 2017 TEA / AECOM Theme Index report, AECOM’s Chris Yoshii spoke to a crowd gathered at the IAAPA Asian Attractions Expo in Hong Kong about the latest trends in the Asia Pacific marketplace.
Future Trends
- -International IP interest: A wide range of international media brands are considering theme parks in the region, beyond the typical players we’ve already seen enter the marketplace.
- -3rd tier cities and resorts: A diverse geographic spread of projects continues to provide more opportunities for development in smaller locales.
- -Themed entertainment complex: Developments often focus on clusters that include a theme park, hotels, retail, dining and entertainment.
- -Growing domestic IP: The market has seen a greater use of locally created IP.
- -Reduced real estate emphasis: Governments are placing less emphasis and incentives on real estate driven projects. Although this may seem bad, in the longer term it is a better situation for the industry, providing more sustainable developments.
- -Increased Government Control: Along with more oversight of project approvals and financing, governments are becoming more realistic about project performance.
Key takeaways
- -Asia is now the fastest growing market for theme parks. Another 10 years of growth are expected, but that also means that competition is increasing.
- -Recently announced projects indicate that a ten-year outlook is realistic.
- -New methods of project delivery are needed; innovation must continue.
