The IMG Group is in advanced talks to expand abroad, according to the company’s chief executive.
The IMG group runs IMG Worlds of Adventure in Dubai – the world’s largest indoor theme park. The company suggests this park provides a blueprint for the future of theme park entertainments. The blueprint, they say, can be applied to future properties in countries like UAE.
Lennard Otto, chief executive officer of IMG Worlds, spoke to Gulf News about the plans. He said in the interview: “A key for us is to expand regionally, maturing in to other markets that suffer from seasonality.”
He has not, however, limited the company to countries with exceptionally hot summers. Otto says he has seen interest from countries that suffer from cold winters – such as Russia and central Asian countries.
Asked for potential candidates for IMG theme parks in the future, Otto noted the lack of entertainment in the Middle East and North Africa regions. He said he had seen demand from Central Asia to the Far East.
Otto explained: “Our numbers prove that the model works: We’ve exceeded expectations in our first year open and we’re on track [to hit the 2017 target of four million visitors].”
“The indoor model we have here at Worlds of Adventure works for the climate we’re in, and we’ve had a lot of interest from other countries who want to import this model of theme park too,” Otto said, adding: “We’re in discussions with several developers and we’ll hopefully see some good announcements soon.”
“China is a very attractive market, due the size of its population and the disposable income sitting there,” he said.
IMG has its sights set on a second park in Dubai set to open around 2020. IMG World of Legends will be two million square feet – a third bigger than IMG Worlds of Adventure.
Image Courtesy IMG Worlds of Adventure. An exclusive interview with IMG’s Lennard Otto will feature soon on Blooloop
https://gulfnews.com/business/sectors/tourism/img-targets-theme-parks-in-russia-and-china-1.2081522
