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The
Straits Times, 28 Jul 04
A theme park needs more than just a theme
to work
By Glenys Sim
THE business of building a theme park here seems to be picking up
steam, and not a moment too soon, since competition for the tourist
dollar in the region is heating up.
It's no accident that several theme parks are already in the works:
Hong Kong Disneyland is slated to open by the end of next year; Vivendi
Universal is constructing a theme park in Shanghai along the lines
of Universal Studios in Japan. Across the Causeway in Johor, meanwhile,
a bid to woo Universal Studios to build an entertainment centre there
is under way.
Things
are no different here. Two weeks ago, Ripley's Entertainment,
of Believe It Or Not fame, said it is considering investing
US$350 million (S$602 million) in an attraction here.
Plans for Sentosa are firmer: The authorities there are in talks
with two parties to operate a theme park. That theme parks are
the way to go in getting the tourist dollar is not in doubt.
What kind of theme park is another matter altogether. For starters,
the theme must be a crowd-puller. Experts at an industry exposition
here two weeks ago cautioned that a well-chosen theme is critical
to a park's success. Choose the right one, and off it goes.
The wrong one will spark a downward spiral that will eventually
break the venture, they said. |
TOP
PARKS
In Asia
1. Tokyo Disneyland (Tokyo, Japan): 13,188,000 (estimated
attendance last year)
2. Tokyo DisneySea (Tokyo, Japan): 12,174,000
3. Universal Studios Japan (Osaka): 8,811,000
4. Everland (Kyonggi-Do, South Korea): 8,800,000
5. Lotte World (Seoul, South Korea): 8,500,000
6. Hakkeijima Sea Paradise (Yokohama, Japan): 5,300,000
7. Ocean Park (Hong Kong): 3,000,000
8. Huis Ten Bosch (Sasebo City, Japan): 2,840,000
9. Seoul Land (Kyunki-Do, South Korea): 2,802,500
10. Suzuka Circuit (Suzuka, Japan): 2,705,000
Worldwide
1. Magic Kingdom, Walt Disney World (Florida, US): 14,044,000
2. Tokyo Disneyland (Tokyo, Japan): 13,188,000
3. Disneyland (California, US): 12,720,000
4. Tokyo DisneySea (Tokyo, Japan): 12,174,000
5. Disneyland Paris (Paris, France): 10,230,000
6. Universal Studios Japan (Osaka, Japan): 8,811,000
7. Everland (Kyonggi-Do, South Korea): 8,800,000
8. Epcot, Walt Disney World (Florida, US): 8,620,800
9. Lotte World (Seoul, South Korea): 8,500,000
10. Disney-MGM Studios, Walt Disney World (Florida, US):
7,870,700 |
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The principal of Thailand-based leisure consultancy, Leisure Creators
Asia, Mr Alan Mahony, said: 'Theming is important. It gives the area
a storyline and makes the place fun. 'There's no point to buying the
biggest wave pool and saying that you have the biggest wave pool.
So what? It's a pool; you're going to swim in it.'
One successful example that was repeatedly mentioned by the experts
was Disneyland. The so-called Happiest Place on Earth has a clear,
fantasy-centred theme that allows one 'to experience a world as big
as your imagination and create memories to last a lifetime'. Another
good example is Malaysia's Sunway Lagoon, which recently underwent
a revamp. The theme at the Waters of Africa park there is clearly
recognisable, from a slide that resembles a python to the safari-influenced
staff uniform.
But it is not enough to, say, transplant Disneyland onto Sentosa,
sit back and watch the bucks roll in. Knowing local habits is as important
as picking the right theme, the experts, who were here to discuss
the amusement park industry in Asia, said.
For example, spending on food and merchandise in Asia is generally
low compared to the West, noted Mr Chris Yoshii, vice-president of
research firm Economic Research Associates, an international consulting
firm which does economic analyses for the entertainment and leisure
industry, among other things. While Westerners prefer to enjoy a whole
day out at parks, including having a meal there and picking up a keepsake
on the way out, Asians tend to just pay for admission and avoid spending
more.
So while Western theme park revenues are split evenly between food
and merchandise and entrance fees, 80 per cent of takings at Asian
ones come from the price of admission. That means that if a theme
park opens on Sentosa, a decision on how to price tickets will be
an important one, since most of the money to be made is at the door.
The next step: What's the competition?
In Singapore, some experts say, the biggest competition will probably
come from shopping malls, because the hot weather drives people into
air-conditioned places. So the cool factor plays a part. Not necessarily
in the form of air-conditioning, though. Just adding water might do
the trick: Witness the success of Wild Wild Wet at Downtown East in
Pasir Ris. Other considerations include the company people keep when
they go to theme parks.
In Asia, going to an amusement park is generally a family affair,
so while the world's scariest rollercoaster might be a treat for the
kids, there needs to be something for Mum and Dad and the grandparents
to do, too. In Singapore, that could be as simple as - what else?
- putting food outlets near the rides. Although Asians tend to keep
spending on food and other items at parks minimal, doing this might
get them to dip into their wallets a little more. 'People like to
do things together,' said Leisure Creators' Mr Mahony. 'They like
to be able to eat and watch their family and friends at the same time,
so food outlets should be very near rides, unlike Western theme parks
where the space is big and everything is spread out.'
So that's the challenge facing the likes of Sentosa and Ripley's.
One facet of it, at least, because there is another problem: Even
though more people are visiting Singapore, they are spending less.
The figures should cause those in the trade to sit up - Singapore's
market share for tourism receipts among nations in the Asia-Pacific
region shrank from 8.2 per cent in 1998 to 5.8 per cent in 2002.
But while there is some urgency towards getting a theme park untracked,
it is well worth spending the time to getting our own version of the
Happiest Place on Earth. After all, we don't want to be stuck with
the world's biggest wave pool. |
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