Theme parks more than play

The Universal Beijing Resort, Happy Valley in Beijing, and the Pop Mart theme park, Pop Land, have emerged among the top 10 sites for inbound family travelers this year, according to major travel agency Trip.com Group, on a par with the Great Wall and the Palace Museum in terms of popularity among foreign travelers.

Lin says that 1 yuan ($0.14) of theme park revenue generally drives 3.8 yuan of income for the city, further stimulating 6-15 yuan worth of income in industries and sectors upstream and downstream.

Therefore, every 1 yuan of park revenue can potentially leverage up to 18.8 yuan in additional income, making a significant contribution to the local economy, Lin says.

Bai Fan, chair of the Beijing Tourism Group, told the development conference that the theme park economy is emerging as a core driver of the cultural and tourism industry, and the parks should offer more content-rich and human-centric products and services, as travelers are placing greater emphasis on experiential, self-focused tourism and spending.

Xu Zhentao, deputy director of the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Culture and Tourism, says that the future direction of theme parks, the opportunities and challenges they present, and their impact on cities are topics that government agencies, the industry and businesses must carefully consider.

The capital will optimize planning to promote tourism development, flesh out tourist offerings and improve services to elevate visitor experience, driving quality and the growth of tourism, Xu says.