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| Monday, 19 July 2004 |
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Roaring fun ahead as amusement parks mushroom in Asia SINGAPORE, (AFP) China is to build the world's biggest ferris wheel. Mickey Mouse and his Disneyland gang are coming to Hong Kong late next year. Singapore is planning a rival mammoth theme park. Construction of amusement facilities is booming in East Asia following the phenomenal success of Tokyo Disneyland as operators scramble to cash in on the region's soaring tourist numbers. Asia already hosts half of the world's top 10 most visited parks, with the 10 biggest attractions in the region luring 68 million visitors a year. Tokyo's Disneyland is the most visited amusement park in the world and Lotte World in South Korea is the largest indoor theme park, according to the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions. But with visitor arrivals in the region seen soaring to 416 million by 2020 from 121 million in 2001, businesses are racing to build more hi-tech and spine-chilling rides, water parks and other crowd-drawers. Asian travellers are projected to account for a major slice of this growth as rising affluence, the easing of travel restrictions in China and the emergence of low-cost airlines encourage more holiday-makers to seek fun overseas. "These visitors will expect high-quality tourism products and world-class attractions," Singapore's Minister of State for Trade and Industry Vivian Balakrishnan told a conference of amusement park operators here last week. "We must continually strive to provide visitors to Asia with a fulfilling and memorable experience." Hong Kong's 3.5 billion-dollar Disneyland is set to open late next year, with its main customers expected to be the growing number of mainland Chinese visiting the territory. Macau, Asia's casino capital, is building a Fisherman's Wharf entertainment district, while Beijing is to erect a 210-metre (693-foot) ferris wheel with restaurants, a theatre and other entertainment facilities at the base. The 100-million-dollar wheel, set to surpass the London Eye, is expected to be completed before the 2008 Olympics hosted by Beijing. In Singapore, Southeast Asia's travel hub, plans are underway build a 400-million-dollar theme park on Sentosa island. The government is also studying an integrated entertainment centre replete with convention facilities, hotels, restaurants, and possibly a casino. US-based Ripley Entertainment Inc. said it plans to invest 350 million dollars for an amusement park in Singapore which will be its biggest in the world. Australia's Village Roadshow may put up close to 30 million dollars for a water-based theme park in the Sentosa project. Industry experts said the increase in the number of Asians travellers should help keep cash registers ringing at the fun parks, as most Western tourists would be spending their time savouring the region's natural attractions and local culture. While fun is universal, there is some debate on whether the high-adrenalin rides that are the main draw in Western theme parks will attract enough Asian thrill-seekers to sustain the big projects. Industry players noted for example that Asians normally prefer rides that instill "fear not terror" while Westerners are prone to go for "super-fast, scare-me-to-death" rides. Robert Masterson, president of the company behind the Ripley's Believe It Or Not newspaper column and its spinoff businesses, said Ripley Entertainment's strategy is to partner with local groups who know the market better. "We tailor our marketing by partnering with people in Asia who understand the market," said Masterson, whose company has successful businesses in Malaysia, Hong Kong and Thailand. Gary Story, special advisor to US theme park operator Six Flags Inc. which offers the tallest spinning rapids in the world and other famous rides, said the idea of fun cuts across cultures. "The one thing we know as operators is that fun is a universal product and people of any culture want to enjoy fun," said Story. But he agreed there are some nuances to be considered, citing the early failures of foreign amusement park operators in China. "We've seen some false starts in China. Maybe there were some miscues. Some of the early ventures were too Western in a part of the world that was looking for its own flavour, but I think those are clearly being worked out," he said. Among the key challenges for the industry in the next five years is to provide a high level of security at theme parks without being obtrusive enough to snuff out the fun, Ripley's Masterson said. Safety standards also need to be harmonised globally as technological advances allow operators to offer more mind-blowing rides, he said. |
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