Brandon
11-02-2007, 12:08 AM
Travel Industry Association estimates theme park attendance will rise this year
Jason Garcia | Sentinel Staff Writer
October 29, 2007
There's mixed news for the theme park industry out of the Travel Industry Association's recent 2008 tourism outlook. After a year of flat growth in 2006, the organization estimates attendance at U.S. theme parks will rise 1.8 percent this year to 341 million people and another 2.3 percent in 2008 to 349 million.
But Suzanne Cook, the senior vice president of research at TIA, says most of the attendance gains are being gobbled up by the Disneys and Universals of the world, rather than the Gatorlands and Fun Spots.
"It's the regional parks that have been having more difficulty," Cook said. "Theme parks are attractions that kind of need to constantly refresh themselves. The major parks do that. The regional parks have been having much more difficulty maintaining a fresh face to the consumer."
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/business/orl-biznews-themeparks102907,0,2052546.story
Jason Garcia | Sentinel Staff Writer
October 29, 2007
There's mixed news for the theme park industry out of the Travel Industry Association's recent 2008 tourism outlook. After a year of flat growth in 2006, the organization estimates attendance at U.S. theme parks will rise 1.8 percent this year to 341 million people and another 2.3 percent in 2008 to 349 million.
But Suzanne Cook, the senior vice president of research at TIA, says most of the attendance gains are being gobbled up by the Disneys and Universals of the world, rather than the Gatorlands and Fun Spots.
"It's the regional parks that have been having more difficulty," Cook said. "Theme parks are attractions that kind of need to constantly refresh themselves. The major parks do that. The regional parks have been having much more difficulty maintaining a fresh face to the consumer."
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/business/orl-biznews-themeparks102907,0,2052546.story