Theme Park Attendance Increased by 2.2% Around the World in 2006

BURBANK, Calif. April 2007 – Theme park attendance around the world showed a cumulative increase of 2.2%. This figure reflects stability and steady, modest growth within the parks and attractions industry, for which much of the credit is due to smart reinvestment, according to the TEA/ERA 2006 Global Theme Park Attendance Report, published April 1. The annual report – a definitive reference work for the trade - is jointly produced by TEA (formerly Themed Entertainment Association) - the leading international trade association for the creators and producers of experience design and themed attractions, and Economics Research Associates (ERA) – a top international consulting firm focused on economic analysis for the entertainment and leisure industry.

The official internet edition of the TEA/ERA 2006 Global Theme Park Attendance Report will be released April 15 on the TEA and ERA websites, respectively www.teaconnect.org and www.econres.com. Initial print versions are now available from Park World (UK) www.parkworld-online.com) and InPark (US) www.inparkmagazine.com

“ERA’s annual theme park attendance report has always been a must-read for the parks and attractions community—a tool for journalists; a resource for industry professionals and others. This report is, plain and simple, the industry standard for attendance data as compiled by Economics Research Associates. It is also a star component of the TEA educational resource library,” says TEA President, Craig Hanna of Thinkwell Design & Production.

A sampling of information conveyed in the
TEA/ERA 2006 Global Theme Park Attendance Report:
-Disney remains the worldwide leader, topping all parks attendance lists except Mexico/Latin America.
-Asia is exhibiting strong growth, especially China. Several major attractions are in the pipeline.
-A new owner’s $10 million investment helped one California theme park achieve a stellar 16% increase in attendance in just one year.
-Indoor waterparks and resort developments may be the new trendsetters.
-European parks are experiencing an unprecedented surge of corporate investment and consolidation.
-186.5 million represents the total attendance for 2006 among the world’s Top 25 parks (parks with attendance above 3.9 million), up 2.9% from 2005.

ERA obtains the figures used to create the report through a variety of sources, including statistics furnished directly by the operators, historical numbers, financial reports, the investment banking community, local tourism organizations and convention and visitors bureaus, among others. The global market is studied as a whole, and each of its four main regions are also studied separately: North America, Latin America, Europe and Asia. There is also a table of the top waterparks in the United States and of the top global chain operators.

“It’s extremely important to collect and share this information throughout the industry so that we can all learn from it and improve the way we do business. The picture is constantly changing due to a variety of factors, and every year we need to take a new snapshot.” remarks John Robinett, senior vice president of ERA.