Theme parks are a safe ride

A boom in theme park construction will barely tap the potential to be a regional tourism hub

Abu Dhabi's Ferrari World was among the first of many theme parks planned for the UAE. (Pawan Singh / The National)

With the presence of Ferrari World and the impending openings of Legoland Dubai, Motiongate Dubai and Bollywood Parks Dubai, the claim by an analyst that the region is “very under-parked” when it comes to theme parks might seem off the mark.

But Philip Shepherd, business consultancy PwC's head of leisure and hospitality for the Middle East, has a point. As he told The National, despite the boom in park construction in the UAE and its aspiration to be a world-class leisure destination, there are still no leading theme parks — such as a local Disneyland — in the region.

With three billion people within four hours flight time of Dubai International Airport, the world’s busiest, and other major airports in Abu Dhabi, Sharjah and Ras Al Khaimah, rather than swamping the market with the new tranche of theme parks, the UAE is in the perfect position to secure its status as the regional destination for this sector.

This vision is not a short-term one nor based on a narrow geographic focus. If the Indian economy achieves its potential over the next decade, it will create a massive new customer base for the UAE’s theme parks – and justify the untested potential of an attraction themed around Bollywood. Similarly, a burgeoning middle class in Africa will also provide a stream of visitors to the theme parks being built now.

Mr Shepherd wisely notes the potential pitfalls that stand in the way of this country fulfilling its potential in this sector. One is the relative paucity of accommodation to suit the budgets of families. Another is the temptation for the various emirates to compete with each other for customers rather than acting in unison as a country.

In parallel with cultural destinations such as the Louvre Abu Dhabi, he envisages the UAE being like Singapore in offering something to suit almost everyone. If done wisely, this has the potential to help fulfil the government’s goal to double tourist numbers to 30 million within six years, to the benefit of everyone.