Active / Adventure: Shout for Joy! Theme Parks & Water Parks

Ever since waterparks came indoors, under cover, and attached themselves to hotels, the hotel waterpark resort industry has continued to grow at an accelerating pace – from 24% to 32% annually. And the average size of these waterpark resorts is getting bigger. In 2004, only one indoor waterpark over 50,000 sf opened. In 2005, three opened. But eight (8) indoor waterparks over 50,000 sf opened in 2006, and another eight (8) opened in 2007. What’s the future of resort development? 1. Lodging, R...

Get a Load of This! After renting a bulldozer and excavator to build his home in Colorado, New Zealand entrepreneur Ed Mumm thought there might be a business in giving people the chance to operate a 20-ton vehicle. He was right. Ever since he unearthed the idea in December 2007, Dig This has been attracting hundreds of experience-seeking vacationers to its 10-acre “sandbox” in Steamboat Springs, Colorado. “Today’s traveler is looking for new experiences,” Mumm sa...

As the market recovers poise in the upcoming years, growing popularity of mass entertainment, and the tendency of families to spend a large portion of their discretionary free time on outdoor fun will continue to drive growth. With governments in developing countries focusing on promoting tourism and entertainment, the upcoming years are expected to witness growth in attendance and per capita spending on theme parks in countries such as Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, India and China. Growth in attend...

Drayton Manor Theme Park was first opened to the public in 1950 by co-founders, husband and wife, George and Vera Bryan. Almost 60 years later, Drayton Manor has been transformed into an award-winning attraction located in approximately 280 acres of beautiful countryside on what was formerly the estate of the Peel family, including Sir Robert Peel, who served as Great Britain’s Prime Minister twice between 1834 and 1846. In an interview, Colin Bryan, managing director, looks back at 2008 a...