Gold Coast theme park Dreamworld’s new Steel Taipan rollercoaster.
Theme Parks ready to Entertain The latest edition of TEA and AECOM’s global attraction attendance report shows industry resilience through 2020 and the beginnings of recovery 2020 was a difficult year for theme parks, water parks and museums, but the newly released edition of the Themed Entertainment Association (TEA) and AECOM’s definitive global attraction attendance report shows that operators and markets have shown remarkable resiliency and are already on the path to recovery in 2021. The 2020 TEA/AECOM Theme Index and Museum Index charts how 2020 was a difficult year for theme parks, waterparks and museums, which are by their nature dedicated to bringing people together for shared experiences. Around the world, the pandemic saw most theme parks, waterparks and museums were closed for significant periods in 2020, with a resultant steep attendance decline. At the same time, operators and markets have shown remarkable resiliency and are already on the path to recovery in 2021, considered a ‘bounce-back year’ in what is forecast to be a three-year recovery cycle. WaterWorld stunt show at Universal Studios Beijing.
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Commenting on the findings of the annual, calendar-year study, produced by collaboration of the Themed Entertainment Association (TEA) and the Economics practice at AECOM, TEA International Board President Chuck Fawcett of Animax Designs, explained “the TEA/AECOM Theme Index and Museum Index truly sets the bar for how our global association serves the global leisure industry. “Theme parks, waterparks and museums are landmarks of cultural tourism and engines of economic development, and the TEA/AECOM Theme Index provides critical benchmarking and context for key decision makers. TEA values its continuing partnership with AECOM and the ability to provide this valuable resource to our business community.” The 2020 TEA/AECOM Theme Index and Museum Index studies the sector by region (The Americas, Asia-Pacific; Europe, The Middle East & Africa [EMEA]), the global market as a whole and the top operators. The report charts and discusses the effects of the pandemic on the industry in 2020 and the subsequent signs of recovery and heightened innovation already begun. John Robinett, Senior Vice President - Economics, AECOM advises “the 2020 attendance numbers are largely due to regulatory restrictions limiting parks’ operating days and capacities and not park popularity and management. “We are already seeing a surge of pent-up demand. The speed with which guests returned to parks and museums once they reopened attests to the vital role these leisure outlets play in people’s lives. “We can’t expect recovery to equal an instant return to 2019 numbers: those represented an economic peak, the best in five decades. A more realistic expectation would be to achieve a level comparable to an average of several years pre-COVID. Following the steep drop of 2020, we can expect that 2021 will manifest as a bounce-back year and that 2022 will usher in real
