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China's theme parks are gaining momentum and a lot more visitors as people realize their entertainment value. The country's middle is starting to flock to the many theme parks in China.
According to industry experts, China's theme park business has been booming for the past years, and has expanded at a much rapid pace than the theme park businesses in other countries. They said the boom may be because Chinese look for cheaper entertainment sources such as going to the theme parks instead of going on overseas vacations because of the economic downturn.
They say China's size and population is also propelling the growth of the theme entertainment industry.
The International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions also expects continuous growth. Some 180 million people visited theme parks in 2013. Experts expect the figure to surpass 320 million by 2020.
A change of heart by the Beijing in 2013 can also explain this growth. The government lifted a ban on approvals for theme park projects in that year, allowing many new theme parks to open, many of them from overseas operators.
Owners of famous foreign cartoon characters such as the Smurfs, Hello Kitty and Angry Birds have established their theme parks in China.
China is viewed as a lucrative place to open theme parks, said managing director of Ipsos Chen Shaohui.
"The market here is far from saturated, and for newcomers, whether they are local or from overseas, their investments put them in the box seat to gain a strong foothold as things become more competitive," Chen explained.
