Earlier Today, the Themed Entertainment Association and AECOM released their annual study of theme park attendance. Since most theme park operators don’t actually release their numbers, many in the industry look to these reports as the definitive analysis of the previous year.
What’s Happening:
- Every year, the Themed Entertainment Association (TEA) and the Economics practice at AECOM collaborate to publish the TEA/AECOM Theme Index and Museum Index – the definitive study of attendance at the world's top theme parks, water parks and museums.
- The TEA/AECOM Theme Index and Museum Index is released in mid-year and shares figures from the previous calendar year, based on research from AECOM's team of industry specialists, along with expert analysis and discussion of trends. This authoritative reference work is an essential resource for the industry, media outlets, financial and travel sectors, investors, developers and educators as well as theme park enthusiasts and students.
- This year’s report has Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom taking the top spot as the most heavily attended Theme Park in the world. Disneyland Park in California, Tokyo Disneyland, Tokyo DisneySea and Universal Studios Japan round out the Top 5, with Walt Disney Attractions as the #1 Theme Park Operating Group.
- The 2019 report is the 14th consecutive, annual edition of the TEA/AECOM Theme Index. Since 2006, TEA and AECOM have collaborated to produce and publish this vital, widely cited global resource and make it available free of charge, with AECOM's John Robinett heading the research team, and TEA's Judith Rubin editing the publication. It was expanded to include the Museum Index in 2012.
- The 2019 TEA/AECOM Index is a portrait of the calendar year 2019, which ended prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2020 the global visitor attractions industry is facing significant new challenges, and the current report touches on these while remaining primarily focused on 2019. As 2020 continues to play out, the effects of the pandemic and other factors shaping the future of the industry will be studied in detail and presented in next year’s report.
What They’re Saying:
- John Robinett, Senior Vice President – Economics, AECOM: “After clearing the half billion attendance mark in 2018, the world’s top theme parks, water parks and attractions continued to climb to 521.2 million in 2019 for a 4.0% annual growth rate as represented by the top 10 attraction groups. The Asian operators once again dominated – with OCT, Chimelong, and Fantawild all reporting high single- or double-digit increases. As a whole, 2019 was a rather mild-mannered year in the industry, with stable results in the established European and American markets being supplemented by moderate growth in Asia. This could indicate that some pre-recessionary pressures were building under the surface before the tectonic COVID-19 shifted the foundation of the world’s health and economies.”