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Universal Orlando Resort will expand The Wizarding World of Harry Potter in 2014 with Diagon Alley
Nearly all 25 parks in our most visited global park list achieved positive growth in 2012. A new record level of 206 million visits has broken the 200 million figure for the first time.
As in 2011, the global theme park market in 2012 was driven by major reinvestment at Disney and Universal parks. Last year, Orlando led the way with The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios Florida. This year, it was Southern California, with double-digit increases at Disney’s California Adventure (where additions included Cars Land) as well as Universal Studios Hollywood (which added Transformers: the Ride 3-D).
While the US parks contributed a substantial volume to the top 25, more growth was provided by Asia. Hong Kong Disney (which opened the Grizzly Gulch themed zone) and Universal Studios Japan (that launched Universal Wonderland) were up 14 per cent, with Lotte World achieving a strong 10 per cent growth and Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo Disney Sea seeing a quick post-tsunami recovery. Asian parks are slowly taking over the top 25 with OCT East in Shenzhen entering the 2012 list. The gap in attendance between the top 20 Northern American and top 20 Asian parks is slowly narrowing and Asian parks may overtake North American in the next few years.
Despite an extraordinarily tough year in Europe, all four European parks in the top 25 managed to grow attendance by around two per cent, which is a remarkable achievement given the circumstances. Europe continued to reinvest with Disneyland Paris adding new 20th anniversary shows and Europa Park’s fifth hotel, Bell Rock, and a Wodan Timbur rollercoaster debuting.
TRIPLE HIT FOR EUROPE The 2012 season was unbelievably difficult for European parks due to the continuing economic recession, cold and wet summers in Northern Europe and the London 2012 Olympic Games.
Some parks found it challenging to maintain attendance but others showed strong growth, contributing to the overall attendance stabilised at 58 million visits. This shows that thoughtful reinvestment can overcome negative trends.
The biggest growth was at two French parks in the lower 10. Parc Asterix opened Egypt World, featuring a highly anticipated OzIris coaster and a smaller ride for children. This led to growth of eight per cent. Puy du Fou, celebrating the 35th anniversary of its original show – Cinescenie – was honoured by TEA’s Thea Classic Award, which drew press attention and helped promote the park in the domestic market. The park was also strengthened by the new Christmas show, Grand Noël, which boosted winter visits and attendance grew by seven per cent.
Extending the season with Halloween and Christmas events is a trend in Europe. More parks are seeking opportunities to offset low summer visits by opening in colder periods when weather conditions are less of an issue, as guests come prepared. With the uncertainty of the summer weather over the past few years, it may be time for European parks to explore options that would make the visitor experience more comfortable in poor summer weather.
Catering for the family is gaining importance and more parks recognise the trend. PortAventura set its strategy on becoming the best family destination in Europe, Parc Asterix balanced its new thrill coaster with a child ride, Puy du Fou allows the whole family to enjoy its shows together and Legoland parks are delivering hotels and holiday villages.
In current economic conditions, even a modest growth is an achievement and reinvestment is key in this.
PortAventura drew crowds to its new rollercoaster, Shambhala: expedition to the Himalaya, which has broken rollercoaster records in Europe for height (76m), drop (78m) and speed (134 km/h on the first descent). The park continues to capitalise on its kids’ area SésamoAventura, which opened in 2011. The park’s attendance grew while the wider Spanish theme park industry didn’t do so well.
OPERATING GROUPS STRENGTHEN GROWTH The top 10 operators had a successful year, increasing the overall attendance by seven per cent to 356 million visits made to the groups’ attractions in 2012. Unsurprisingly, Disney led the race with 126 million visits, having grown by an impressive five per cent due to the enhancement of its Asian and US parks.
Merlin Entertainments Group demonstrated a remarkable 16 per cent growth overall, which strengthened the operator’s second position in the chart with 54 million visits. Merlin’s performance demonstrates the importance of a diversified portfolio given the climate and economic variations the industry experiences. With attractions in 21 countries around the world, Merlin was able to offset challenging conditions in the UK and Italy, for example, with stronger performance in Asia Pacific. The operator continues to expand through new attractions and accommodation.
Asian operators are making their way onto the list of leading global operators. Two China-based theme park chains, OCT Group and Haichang Group, are now in the top 10 park chains with 23.4 and 9.4 million visits and intentions of expansion, an important trend in China.
OUTLOOK This year’s results suggest that worldwide attractions markets are returning to a positive outlook. There’s more optimism now, especially in North America and Asia, and expectations of future growth and expansion. Overall, operators are putting tremendous efforts in maintaining and growing attendances at parks, and sizeable and thoughtful reinvestment will remain key in this.
With a mini baby boom in Europe, catering to families with small children is paramount and we expect the shift to the family market to become even more pronounced in the years to come. In Northern Europe in particular, the weather is an important factor so let’s hope for operators’ innovative solutions for how to make rain and wind fun.
Read more from this issue of Spa Business magazine
View contents of Spa Business 2013 issue 3
Editor's letter: Authenticity
Having authenticity and human engagement at the heart of an attraction
creates an energy which ensures its success
Profile: Terri Irwin
The conservationist, social entrepreneur
and operator of Australia Zoo describes
how she and her late husband, Steve,
built up their business and how she and
her children are continuing his legacy
Analysis: Riding High
The TEA/AECOM theme index report
for 2012 shows that the industry's
continuing to do well with recordbreaking
attendances for many parks
Waterparks: Tapping the experts
The merging of waterparks and theme
parks, shared experiences and multiple
sensation rides are among the trends,
as we find out from the operators
Top Team: Class act
The first themed entertainment design
degree launched last September at SCAD.
The team behind the programme describe
their inspiration and the challenges
Space centre: Space age
Space Shuttle Atlantis has come home
to rest at Kennedy Space Centre Visitor
Complex. COO Bill Moore tells us how
people react when they see the shuttle
Mystery shopper: The cat's whiskers?
Sanrio Hello Kitty Town is among the
attractions at the new Puteri Harbour
Family Theme Park in Malaysia. We pay
a visit to learn more about the offer
Heritage: Mary Rose Museum
King Henry VIII's war ship is brought
back to life in an exciting new museum,
which takes visitors back to the day
she sank, almost 500 years ago
Design project profile: All hands on deck
Mary Rose Museum's design team
tell us how they created a building
that complemented, but didn't
compete with, the famous ship and
the challenges of working around
the hot box it's being conserved in
3D/4D/5D: Work dimension
We find out how film distributors work
with operators and look at some of
the new products that are available
on the market for attractions
Show preview: EAS 2013
The suppliers reveal the products and
projects they'll be showcasing in Paris
* 206 million visits to world’s top 25 theme parks in 2012; 5.2% rise
* 358 million visits to attractions run by top 10 operating groups; 6.7% rise
* 132 million visits to top 20 North American theme parks in 2012; 3.6% rise
* 109 million visits to top 20 Asian theme parks in 2012; 5.8% rise
* 58 million visits to top 20 European theme parks in 2012; 0.3% decline
Note: attendance figures are estimates based on company information, annual reports, published information and from reliable TEA/AECOM industry and tourism sources. Percent changes for 2012 for certain parks are based on adjusted/ updated figures for 2011, thus not directly comparable to the published TEA/ AECOM list for 2010/11 or previous reports. Source: TEA and AECOM.
The steel rollercoaster, Big Grizzly Mountain Runaway Mine Cars, in Hong Kong Disney’s new Grizzly Gulch zone helped boost numbers
Efteling’s Aquanura show at dusk prolongs the time visitors spend in the Dutch park
French theme park Parc Asterix opened Egypt World with an OzIris coaster and had an eight per cent increase in visitor numbers
In today’s premium spa environment, every detail shapes the guest experience – right down to
the softness of towels and the freshness of linens. [more...]
Le Atelier by C.O.D.E. doesn't offer a standard bespoke service, it provides a highly
customised approach to designing massage beds and loungers in high-end wellness
environments. [more...]
+ More featured suppliers
COMPANY PROFILES
Trybe
Trybe was founded back in 2020, and the past five years has seen Trybe become the fastest growing al [more...]
Universal Orlando Resort will expand The Wizarding World of Harry Potter in 2014 with Diagon Alley
Nearly all 25 parks in our most visited global park list achieved positive growth in 2012. A new record level of 206 million visits has broken the 200 million figure for the first time.
As in 2011, the global theme park market in 2012 was driven by major reinvestment at Disney and Universal parks. Last year, Orlando led the way with The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios Florida. This year, it was Southern California, with double-digit increases at Disney’s California Adventure (where additions included Cars Land) as well as Universal Studios Hollywood (which added Transformers: the Ride 3-D).
While the US parks contributed a substantial volume to the top 25, more growth was provided by Asia. Hong Kong Disney (which opened the Grizzly Gulch themed zone) and Universal Studios Japan (that launched Universal Wonderland) were up 14 per cent, with Lotte World achieving a strong 10 per cent growth and Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo Disney Sea seeing a quick post-tsunami recovery. Asian parks are slowly taking over the top 25 with OCT East in Shenzhen entering the 2012 list. The gap in attendance between the top 20 Northern American and top 20 Asian parks is slowly narrowing and Asian parks may overtake North American in the next few years.
Despite an extraordinarily tough year in Europe, all four European parks in the top 25 managed to grow attendance by around two per cent, which is a remarkable achievement given the circumstances. Europe continued to reinvest with Disneyland Paris adding new 20th anniversary shows and Europa Park’s fifth hotel, Bell Rock, and a Wodan Timbur rollercoaster debuting.
TRIPLE HIT FOR EUROPE The 2012 season was unbelievably difficult for European parks due to the continuing economic recession, cold and wet summers in Northern Europe and the London 2012 Olympic Games.
Some parks found it challenging to maintain attendance but others showed strong growth, contributing to the overall attendance stabilised at 58 million visits. This shows that thoughtful reinvestment can overcome negative trends.
The biggest growth was at two French parks in the lower 10. Parc Asterix opened Egypt World, featuring a highly anticipated OzIris coaster and a smaller ride for children. This led to growth of eight per cent. Puy du Fou, celebrating the 35th anniversary of its original show – Cinescenie – was honoured by TEA’s Thea Classic Award, which drew press attention and helped promote the park in the domestic market. The park was also strengthened by the new Christmas show, Grand Noël, which boosted winter visits and attendance grew by seven per cent.
Extending the season with Halloween and Christmas events is a trend in Europe. More parks are seeking opportunities to offset low summer visits by opening in colder periods when weather conditions are less of an issue, as guests come prepared. With the uncertainty of the summer weather over the past few years, it may be time for European parks to explore options that would make the visitor experience more comfortable in poor summer weather.
Catering for the family is gaining importance and more parks recognise the trend. PortAventura set its strategy on becoming the best family destination in Europe, Parc Asterix balanced its new thrill coaster with a child ride, Puy du Fou allows the whole family to enjoy its shows together and Legoland parks are delivering hotels and holiday villages.
In current economic conditions, even a modest growth is an achievement and reinvestment is key in this.
PortAventura drew crowds to its new rollercoaster, Shambhala: expedition to the Himalaya, which has broken rollercoaster records in Europe for height (76m), drop (78m) and speed (134 km/h on the first descent). The park continues to capitalise on its kids’ area SésamoAventura, which opened in 2011. The park’s attendance grew while the wider Spanish theme park industry didn’t do so well.
OPERATING GROUPS STRENGTHEN GROWTH The top 10 operators had a successful year, increasing the overall attendance by seven per cent to 356 million visits made to the groups’ attractions in 2012. Unsurprisingly, Disney led the race with 126 million visits, having grown by an impressive five per cent due to the enhancement of its Asian and US parks.
Merlin Entertainments Group demonstrated a remarkable 16 per cent growth overall, which strengthened the operator’s second position in the chart with 54 million visits. Merlin’s performance demonstrates the importance of a diversified portfolio given the climate and economic variations the industry experiences. With attractions in 21 countries around the world, Merlin was able to offset challenging conditions in the UK and Italy, for example, with stronger performance in Asia Pacific. The operator continues to expand through new attractions and accommodation.
Asian operators are making their way onto the list of leading global operators. Two China-based theme park chains, OCT Group and Haichang Group, are now in the top 10 park chains with 23.4 and 9.4 million visits and intentions of expansion, an important trend in China.
OUTLOOK This year’s results suggest that worldwide attractions markets are returning to a positive outlook. There’s more optimism now, especially in North America and Asia, and expectations of future growth and expansion. Overall, operators are putting tremendous efforts in maintaining and growing attendances at parks, and sizeable and thoughtful reinvestment will remain key in this.
With a mini baby boom in Europe, catering to families with small children is paramount and we expect the shift to the family market to become even more pronounced in the years to come. In Northern Europe in particular, the weather is an important factor so let’s hope for operators’ innovative solutions for how to make rain and wind fun.
Read more from this issue of Spa Business magazine
View contents of Spa Business 2013 issue 3
Editor's letter: Authenticity
Having authenticity and human engagement at the heart of an attraction
creates an energy which ensures its success
Profile: Terri Irwin
The conservationist, social entrepreneur
and operator of Australia Zoo describes
how she and her late husband, Steve,
built up their business and how she and
her children are continuing his legacy
Analysis: Riding High
The TEA/AECOM theme index report
for 2012 shows that the industry's
continuing to do well with recordbreaking
attendances for many parks
Waterparks: Tapping the experts
The merging of waterparks and theme
parks, shared experiences and multiple
sensation rides are among the trends,
as we find out from the operators
Top Team: Class act
The first themed entertainment design
degree launched last September at SCAD.
The team behind the programme describe
their inspiration and the challenges
Space centre: Space age
Space Shuttle Atlantis has come home
to rest at Kennedy Space Centre Visitor
Complex. COO Bill Moore tells us how
people react when they see the shuttle
Mystery shopper: The cat's whiskers?
Sanrio Hello Kitty Town is among the
attractions at the new Puteri Harbour
Family Theme Park in Malaysia. We pay
a visit to learn more about the offer
Heritage: Mary Rose Museum
King Henry VIII's war ship is brought
back to life in an exciting new museum,
which takes visitors back to the day
she sank, almost 500 years ago
Design project profile: All hands on deck
Mary Rose Museum's design team
tell us how they created a building
that complemented, but didn't
compete with, the famous ship and
the challenges of working around
the hot box it's being conserved in
3D/4D/5D: Work dimension
We find out how film distributors work
with operators and look at some of
the new products that are available
on the market for attractions
Show preview: EAS 2013
The suppliers reveal the products and
projects they'll be showcasing in Paris
* 206 million visits to world’s top 25 theme parks in 2012; 5.2% rise
* 358 million visits to attractions run by top 10 operating groups; 6.7% rise
* 132 million visits to top 20 North American theme parks in 2012; 3.6% rise
* 109 million visits to top 20 Asian theme parks in 2012; 5.8% rise
* 58 million visits to top 20 European theme parks in 2012; 0.3% decline
Note: attendance figures are estimates based on company information, annual reports, published information and from reliable TEA/AECOM industry and tourism sources. Percent changes for 2012 for certain parks are based on adjusted/ updated figures for 2011, thus not directly comparable to the published TEA/ AECOM list for 2010/11 or previous reports. Source: TEA and AECOM.
The steel rollercoaster, Big Grizzly Mountain Runaway Mine Cars, in Hong Kong Disney’s new Grizzly Gulch zone helped boost numbers
Efteling’s Aquanura show at dusk prolongs the time visitors spend in the Dutch park
French theme park Parc Asterix opened Egypt World with an OzIris coaster and had an eight per cent increase in visitor numbers
Global Wellness Day (GWD) marked its 15th anniversary on Saturday 13 June 2026, with the
theme: #JoyMagenta – a celebration of the healing qualities of simple gestures and activities
that spark joy.
Global luxury hospitality brand, Six Senses, has partnered with longevity healthcare provider,
HUM2N, to launch a clinic at Six Senses London, at The Whiteley.
As part of its first hotel partnership, Mayrlife – the medical health resort company known for its
site in Altaussee, Austria – has launched a day clinic at the Rosewood Vienna.
Premium London health club, KX Chelsea, will imminently unveil its most significant
redevelopment since its launch in 2002 to create an integrated wellness model combining
training, recovery and relaxation.
Rosewood Le Guanahani St Barth, on the northeast coast of Saint Barthélemy in the French
West Indies, is offering a programme of ocean-inspired yoga classes between 8-14 June to
celebrate Global Wellness Day (GWD).
Hotel de France, located on the British Isle of Jersey, has created a wellness retreat package
that includes a hot yoga session that will take place in Jersey Zoo’s butterfly sanctuary.
The Ritz-Carlton, Langkawi, in Malaysia, has revealed a schedule for Global Wellness Day
(GWD) that includes guided rainforest walks, mindful movement and guided coastal meditation
experiences.
Longevitix, a clinical platform for preventive and longevity medicine, has launched its AI-
powered intelligence system to help physicians deliver continuous, personalised longevity-
focused care at scale.
Atmantan Wellness Centre, an integrative wellness destination in Mulshi, near Pune in India, is
expanding its portfolio by adding a new centre in Hyderabad that will launch between 2028 and
2029.
In today’s premium spa environment, every detail shapes the guest experience – right down to
the softness of towels and the freshness of linens. [more...]
Le Atelier by C.O.D.E. doesn't offer a standard bespoke service, it provides a highly
customised approach to designing massage beds and loungers in high-end wellness
environments. [more...]
+ More featured suppliers
COMPANY PROFILES
Trybe Trybe was founded back in 2020, and the past five years has seen Trybe become the fastest growing al [more...]
