The Themed Entertainment Association (TEA), a non-profit representing compelling places and experiences worldwide, has released its latest global attractions attendance report.
Now in its 17th annual edition, the TEA/AECOM Theme Index and Museum Index provides information on the world’s most-visited theme parks, water parks and museums.
The report studies the attractions sector by region – the Americas, Asia-Pacific, Europe, and the Middle East & Africa (EMEA).
Although regional differences varied in 2022, many of the world’s theme parks, water parks and museums are moving towards full recovery, with some achieving pre-pandemic attendance and revenue levels.
TEA International’s board president Melissa Ruminot of Nassal said the annual report “provides valuable data and insight into our industry” and is “the basis for countless reporting and feasibility studies, supporting further industry growth”.
Per a press release from TEA and AECOM, 2022 was a year of relaxed pandemic restrictions, pent-up demand for location-based entertainment (LBE) and a return to normality.
Sites across the world took advantage of these market conditions to attract impressive numbers of visitors. In areas such as North America and Europe, average attendance figures were close to 100 percent of 2019’s record numbers.
In China, however, pandemic lockdowns increased throughout most of 2022, affecting attendance in the country itself and in other markets relying on Chinese tourists.
Return to pre-pandemic levels
“With China now reopened and travel starting to pick up, we expect 2022 was the final chapter in this region’s recovery story,” said Beth Chang, executive director of AECOM’s economics practice for its Asia region.
In the Americas last year, revenues were often better than pre-pandemic numbers – with operators focusing on improving the visitor experience via attendance caps, pricing adjustments and new technologies.
“Theme parks and water parks have been looking at ways to reduce friction for guests and make experiences better and more interactive,” added Francisco Refuerzo, an economist with AECOM.
“This includes intentionally creating – and selling – technology to allow the guest to more fully interact with experiences in the park.”
As for theme parks and water parks in Europe, the new attendance figures show 98 percent and 96 percent recovery rates compared to 2019 numbers respectively.
“The EMEA region appears poised for great success in 2023,” said Jodie Lock, associate director of economic development with AECOM’s Europe and India region.
Museums around the world were challenged by Omicron restrictions at the beginning of 2022, but things improved throughout the year.
Improving the visitor experience
In Europe and North America, numbers returned to 70 percent of pre-pandemic levels. However, Asian museums saw numbers return to just 40 percent of pre-Covid levels.
Much like theme parks, museums are focusing on improving the guest experience. “We see visitor attention spans decreasing, and museums are making changes to adapt to this reality,” said Linda Cheu, vice president with AECOM’s economics and advisory practice.
“In order to remain relevant, museums are developing their facilities to create interactive and educational spaces where people can spend time together with family and friends.”
The 2022 TEA/AECOM Theme Index and Museum Index is available to download from the TEA website and AECOM website.
“2022 has proven that people are craving experiences with family and friends, which is fueling the near-total recovery for many parts of our industry,” said John Robinett, senior vice president of AECOM’s economics and advisory practice. “The pandemic has ushered in a renewed focus on the guest experience, and savvy operators are already taking advantage of the efficiencies new technologies and trends are providing.”
He added: “That resulted in some operators seeing 2022 revenues that exceeded 2019 levels, even though attendance often lagged slightly behind. In fact, with continued strong demand, we expect to see even more growth in attendance and revenue for 2023 and beyond.”
