THE EXPERIENCE ECONOMIST AMERICAS EDITION 2026
The Experience Economist is a series of industry publications from Leisure Development Partners (LDP), the leading firm in visitor attractions economics and strategy. Key metrics and location highlights
Within our data, Brazil had the highest increase in visits, and we feature key projects throughout the region in this edition.
About Leisure Development Partners (LDP) Leisure Development Partners (LDP) is the global leader in visitor attraction economics and strategy, delivering data-driven insights that empower developers, operators, and investors to create successful, sustainable attractions anchored real estate. With a proven track record in 80+ countries and over 1000 projects, LDP provides trusted, bankable analysis across theme parks, waterparks, family entertainment centers, cultural attractions, and mixed-use destinations. Our expertise ensures clients make informed decisions that maximize visitation, revenue, and long-term growth. Our Core Services: • Market & Feasibility Studies - Evaluating demand, competitive positioning, and financial viability • Enhancement Strategy - Unlocking the potential of existing business, expanding, finding efficiencies through benchmarking • Economic Impact Assessments - Quantifying how attractions drive local economies and tourism • Strategic Planning & Business Modelling - Optimizing financial forecasts and operational strategies • Consumer & Competitive Insights - Identifying trends, visitor behaviours, and industry benchmarks • Development Advisory - Guiding investment decisions with expert intelligence • Due Diligence - Valuation insight, upside identification and business planning for buyers Backed by decades of experience, LDP’s insights shape the future of the global attractions industry - helping clients unlock opportunities, minimize risks, and create unforgettable experiences.
increase in visits, and we feature key projects throughout the region in this edition. The feature graphic on the next page examines key markets in the Americas, comparing relative population sizes, incomes, theme park and waterpark visitation levels, attractions spend per capita, economic impact, jobs created, and future growth. The results give insights into the relative stages of development of each region and what this implies for the opportunities within.
336m annual theme park and waterpark visits 384 amusement/theme park & waterpark visits per 1,000 residents 253k total employment impact US$55.4bn total economic impact
Credit: Therme Group
This second edition of The Experience Economist: Americas offers an update of key metrics and location highlights across the larger region, featuring Texas, Alberta Province and Brazil. We also explore the offering and impact of special programming at attractions globally, featuring Gaylord Resort’s Ice! on the cover and other seasonal and special events. The Americas: Market performance and development outlook The United States drives the Americas region in terms of theme and water park industry visits and economic impact. In 2025, these impacts remain relatively flat compared to 2024, with Universal Epic Universe’s approximately 4.0 million new visits generally balanced by decreases at other parks in the U.S. due
to various climate and economic challenges. In this edition we feature Texas as a location highlight in the U.S, driving new development, visits, spending and jobs across a range of attraction types. Mexico is the second largest contributor in terms of total impacts for the Americas region, though it saw a decline in total visits in 2025. Guatemala, Colombia and Chile each experienced an increase of theme and water park visits and impacts in the last year, and opportunities for development in Central and Latin America remain strong. LDP is actively working on projects in these countries, bringing traditional and new concepts to these largely underserved leisure markets. Brazil is a standout in 2025 performance and is the second largest market in terms of population in the Americas. Within our data, Brazil had the highest
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Comparing the metrics
Canada
41.5m $53,558 266 $47 $958.3m 8,277 4.8% $
USA
824 $114 $51.1bn 211,542 3.4% $
342.3m $89,105
The Bahamas
$ 413,000 $36,784 5,787 $164 $493.8m 1,793 2.0%
Dominican Republic
$
10.8m $11,743 102
$71
$129.6m 836 4.8%
Mexico
$
Brazil
133.3m $12,692 89
$61
$1.1bn 8,891
4.1%
$39 $1.0bn 11,824 2.5% $
213.3m $9,964 74
Guatemala
$13 $78.9m 3,047 6.9% $
18m $6,698 225
Colombia
$22 $238.2m 4,725 3.5% $
53.1m $8,054 119
Key
Chile
$18 $53.3m 1,288 3.4% $
Resident population, 2025
20.2m $17,015 85
Gross domestic product per Capita Total theme park and waterpark visits per 1,000 residents Average theme park and waterpark spend per head
Argentina
$23 $64.7m 1,166 3.6% $
47.5m $14,362 33
$
Sources: 1. Population = United States Census Bureau 2. GDP per capita = Bureau of Economic Analysis: U.S. Department of Commerce
Estimated theme park and waterpark economic impact (monetary $)
3. TP & WP Visits Per 1,000 Residents = LDP database 4 . Average TP & WP spend per head = LDP database
Estimated theme park and waterpark employment impact (jobs)
5. Eco TP nomic Impact =LDP database for park spend estimates and OECD for respective multipliers 6. Employment Impact = LDP database for park employee estimates and OECD for respective multipliers 7. LDP database for park employee estimates and OECD for respective multipliers
Forecast annual GDP growth
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Netflix House Marking a major trend of experiential retail, a massive Netflix IP driven attraction anchored at the Galleria Dallas opened in 2025, allowing fans to step directly into immersive worlds from their favorite streaming shows. Netflix House opened the more than 100,000 square foot attraction in the former Belk department store space, illustrating a continued trend of placing entertainment in retail to overhaul vacant retail anchor spaces and drive footfall to more traditional shopping centers. LDP’s benchmarking data on the trend shows that shopping centers with branded IP entertainment anchors can pull demand from up to 1.5 hours in most instances, which is significantly farther than those without, at just 30 minutes typically. Branded IP attractions like Netflix House are shown to drive incremental footfall to shopping centers and increase dwell time and customer spend. Netflix House is free to enter, with paid experiences for specific immersive experiences. The operator is keen to use its in-house IP to swap experiences on a regular basis to keep the offering fresh and adjust to market demand, new releases and incoming Netflix titles. They’ve already swapped out Stranger Things: Face in the Dark and introduced KPop Demon Hunters: The Immersive Experience, and Squid Games: Survive the Trials. Netflix House is also open outside Philadelphia and coming soon to Las Vegas.
Branded IP attractions like Netflix House are shown to drive incremental footfall to shopping centers and increase dwell time and customer spend.
New competitive socializing attractions
Batbox Dallas (Addison) opened in October 2025, first location in U.S. with one already established in Monterrey, Mexico. Batbox fits within the growing category of competitive socializing, similar in positioning to concepts such as Topgolf, but centered specifically on baseball. Its appeal comes from transforming a familiar sport into an accessible, technology-driven group activity and pairing it with a strong food-and-beverage component. This allows the venue to attract not only baseball enthusiasts but also families, friend groups, and corporate outings. The primary experience is a series of immersive baseball simulators where guests step up to the plate and hit within a digitally enhanced baseball
Location highlight: Texas
Netflix House Dallas. Photo by Justin Clemons
areas, character experiences and sensory gardens designed to provide quieter spaces for children. Universal showcases a range of its IP within the park, including DreamWorks Shrek, Puss in Boots, and Trolls, as well as Jurassic Park, Nickelodeon’s SpongeBob SquarePants and Illumination’s Minions. The project is an interesting example of right-sized destination entertainment. Rather than relying on a huge collection of thrill rides to motivate a long-haul vacation, Universal is applying major entertainment IP to a smaller-scale, highly targeted family product. This potentially gives the concept several strategic advantages – a clearly defined targeted audience, major IP’s in a more accessible format, a mixture of programmed and unstructured experiences and destination elements (with an adjacent hotel) without the mega-resort scale. As with many new attractions, the park is likely to continue evolving following its opening, with opportunities to enhance shade, landscaping and theming in response to guest feedback and the realities of the North Texas climate.
Dallas The Dallas attractions and entertainment market is undergoing a massive, multi-billion-dollar transformation. Driven by mega-events, experiential entertainment, and a booming population, the region is shifting from a corporate hub into a premier global tourism destination. Universal Kids Resort Riding the wave of opening Epic Universe in Orlando last year, Universal Kids Resort opened in Frisco, Texas this past July. This is Universal Destinations & Experiences’ first theme park developed specifically for families with young children, representing a deliberately different product from Universal’s large-scale destination parks: a more compact, child-focused experience built around play, discovery, familiar intellectual property and family interaction. The park is organized around seven themed lands, combining rides and shows with interactive play
Impact of IP Branded Attractions
With Attraction Anchors 90 mins
Malls with strong branded attractions can attract visits from up to 1.5 hours Driving incremental visits ( 2%-4% of mall footfall) Increasing dwell time and spend
Typical Mall 15-30 mins
Source: Individual attractions and LDP
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The wellness trend continues to expand in the U.S. and Dallas is poised to invest in the form of Therme Dallas. Therme Group, based in Europe with five established resorts, continues its development strategy in North America, first in Toronto at Ontario Place and now in Dallas along the Trinity River. The $800 million, 500,000-square-foot indoor-outdoor resort features thermal baths, around 20 saunas, mineral pools, waterslides, restaurants, and a hotel under a retractable glass roof. In August of this year the City Planning Commission gave the project its initial green light on zoning; next steps take the project to Dallas City Council for final authorization. Developers are targeting a 2027 groundbreaking and a potential 2031 opening. Cannon Beach is a $200 million, 35-acre surf and adventure lifestyle project led by the Cannon Development Group. The project is actively under construction in McKinney, Texas, with the first phase targeting an opening in late 2027. The concept includes the stationary surf wave lagoon, a lazy river, a mineral hot springs circuit, cliff diving platforms, a full-service resort hotel, and dedicated retail/dining spaces. The McKinney City Council and the McKinney Economic Development Corporation recently advanced a major financial and land agreement that forgives up to $21 million of the roughly $23 million owed for the land as specific construction milestones are successfully achieved. In return, the project is expected to create over 700 local jobs and draw approximately 300,000 to 400,000 visitors annually.
and nets that move along a 40-foot by 10-foot lane, allowing players to shoot from multiple spots without changing bays. The bays and basketball lanes will be surrounded by projectors and LED screens, creating a digitally immersive environment. The developer is initially targeting the Dallas market (no announced site yet) and is planning to roll out across the U.S. and possibly globally. Demand shouldn’t be an issue: around 28 million Americans age six and up play basketball, according to the Sports & Fitness Industry Association, and FIBA, the International Basketball Federation, reports that more than 450 million people play the game globally. Leadership hails from other competitive socializing companies including Topgolf and Drive Shack. COTALAND a useful benchmark for the broader movement toward sports- anchored entertainment districts, where the sport provides the identity but entertainment, attractions,
Latin America
Americas FEC Maturity
Number of Entertainment Centers
150+ Mexico
200+ Brazil
100+ Argentina
North America
0.9 Brazil 2.2 Argentina Early Stage: limited FEC supply – selective urban growth opportunities 1.1 Mexico Per Million Residents
Number of Entertainment Centers 5,000+ USA 500+ Canada
Per Million Residents
17.6 USA
12.2 Canada
Mature Market: growth led by new branded concepts & comp-socialising
F&B and participatory experiences broaden the audience.
Source: LDP research, Global Market Insights, Allied Market Research, Individual Attractions & Facilities Notes: “Entertainment Centres” include indoor facilities that feature bowling, arcades, VR, go-karting, adventure golf, trampolines, laser tag, esports, escape rooms, climbing, rides, children’s play (not exhaustive).
poles, cement truck, tunnels and a 48-foot climbing wall. Activities include ziplines, ropes courses, climbing, slides, underground tunnels, treehouses, obstacle areas, a laser maze and soft play for younger children. Guests explore the attraction at their own pace, choosing activities with varying levels of physical challenge. This flexibility makes the experience particularly well suited to families and groups spanning different ages, abilities and comfort levels. Future projects There are a number of proposed new attractions and destinations in various stages of development in the Texas market, ranging from new competitive socializing concepts to a wellness focused resort. JumpShot Live is a basketball-themed concept described as the “Topgolf of basketball” that combines interactive gaming bays with upscale food and beverage.. JumpShot Live is envisioned in approximately 50,000 square feet with 50 custom gaming bays with patent-pending dynamic hoops
environment. Rather than simply hitting balls in a traditional cage, participants engage in interactive games, compete against one another, and track their performance and scores. Beyond baseball gameplay, the venue is designed around the broader social experience. Guests can eat, drink, watch others compete, and socialize between games, creating an atmosphere that blends elements of a sports bar, restaurant, and interactive gaming venue. Adventure Parks Fritz’s Adventure is a large-scale indoor/outdoor adventure park at Grandscape in The Colony, north of Dallas. The more than 100,000-square-foot attraction opened in 2025, following the original location in Branson, Missouri, and focuses on active exploration and physical challenges rather than traditional rides. A defining feature is its use of real-world structures that guests would not normally be able to climb or explore, including an airplane, oil silo, telephone
COTALAND Austin Texas. Photo credit COTALAND
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alternatives exist nearby, such as Kemah Boardwalk (which is adding a new pirate-themed water park called Boardwalk Bay) and Galveston’s Historic Pleasure Pier, but they do not fill the gap for a full- scale destination park. Various theme or amusement park developments have been proposed in the market, including TexasLand USA and Grand Texas (currently Big River Waterpark) though haven’t seen full scale plans realized to date. A major park return to the Houston market is ultimately a matter of time, given the area’s massive population growth and ability to operate nearly year-round, though high development costs require the right investor match.
F1 global fan base (millions)
Houston remains the largest U.S. metropolitan area without a major destination amusement park since Six Flags AstroWorld closed in 2005.
529.3m
2018
727.8m
2024
827.0m
2025
Texas Theme Parks and Population Density
Population
Theme park
Two-hour drive time
831.0m
2026
KANSAS
COLORADO
Source: Neilsen’s Global Fan Report
Austin COTALAND is a new 30-acre amusement park at Circuit of The Americas (COTA) in Austin, Texas, the home of the Formula 1 US Grand Prix. The park officially opened on September 26, 2026, and represents an important evolution of COTA from a venue primarily associated with major racing events into a broader, year-round leisure and entertainment destination. The 30-acre park is home to more than 30 rides, including Texas’ first tilt coaster, Circuit Breaker, and the country’s first infinity shuttle coaster, Palindrome, which features a zero g-stall. The project is particularly relevant to destination development because it effectively layers a year- round attraction onto an event-driven sports asset. Instead of COTA functioning primarily around race weekends and other scheduled events, COTALAND adds a standalone leisure product capable of generating visitation on ordinary operating days. It also creates multiple levels of engagement with the motorsports brand. A visitor can experience conventional family rides, participate in karting, or move closer to the actual racing product through a track experience. In our view, that makes COTALAND a useful benchmark for the broader movement toward sports-anchored entertainment districts, where the sport provides the identity but entertainment, attractions, F&B and participatory experiences broaden the audience. COTALAND arrives at a particularly favorable moment for Formula 1. The sport’s global fan base
reached 827 million in 2025, up 12 percent year over year and 63 percent compared with 2018. Importantly for attraction development, that audience is becoming younger: 43 percent of fans are under 35, and 57 percent of new fans added during 2025 were under 35. The audience is also becoming more gender-balanced, with women representing 42 percent of the fan base in 2025 versus 37 percent in 2018. F1 is increasingly functioning as an entertainment and lifestyle platform that can support experiences beyond watching a race. Its younger and expanding audience creates opportunities for karting, simulators, driving experiences, themed F&B, merchandise, viewing venues and other forms of competitive social entertainment. Untapped opportunity - Houston Houston remains the largest U.S. metropolitan area without a major destination amusement park since Six Flags AstroWorld closed in 2005. Smaller regional F1 is increasingly functioning as an entertainment and lifestyle platform that can support experiences beyond watching a race.
OKLAHOMA
ARKANSAS
Fort Worth
Dallas
LOUISIANA
TEXAS
Austin
Houston
San Antonio
High
Low
Source: ESRI, Individual Attractions, LDP
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To the North, Alberta has set an ambitious goal for the growth of its tourism economy, targeting C$25 billion in annual visitor spending by 2035, compared with approximately C$14.4 billion in 2024.
a broader range of communities. If successful, this approach can support new investment and employment while contributing to greater economic diversification across the province.
Location highlight: Alberta Province, Canada
Culture and entertainment in Calgary
Touching on new developments in Alberta that align with the aforementioned tourism strategy, Scotia Place is a major new sports, entertainment and mixed-use gathering destination currently under construction within Calgary’s Culture + Entertainment District, aiming to open in fall 2027. The C$1.2 billion project is intended to become a year-round destination combining professional sports, concerts and major events with public gathering spaces, dining, retail and community recreation. At the center of the development is a new multipurpose, 18,000+ seat arena that will be the home of the Calgary Flames, with supporting events for the Calgary Hitmen, Calgary Wranglers and Calgary Roughnecks. The wider project includes a second smaller arena, indoor and outdoor public plazas, and various retail and dining outlets. The outdoor spaces will also be used to host concerts and other special events, accommodating up to 5,000 guests when configured as an event space and festival street. Scotia Place is a great example of the type of investment that supports the province’s broader visitor-value strategy. Rather than functioning solely as a sports venue, the combination of events, dining,
Peyto Lake in Banff National Park
workforce and housing needs. There is also a strong emphasis on encouraging visitors to explore beyond established destinations such as Banff, Jasper, Calgary and Edmonton. This focus on visitor value rather than visitor volume is particularly relevant to attraction and destination development. A visitor who stays longer, travels more widely and participates in more paid experiences can make a greater economic contribution without requiring a corresponding increase in overall visitor numbers. New attractions, leisure experiences and resort products can therefore play an important role, both by increasing length of stay and spend and by creating reasons for visitors to explore emerging destinations.
LDP has previously undertaken work that aligns closely with this approach, identifying potential attraction and leisure opportunities in some of Alberta’s less- developed tourism areas, including the Southern Rockies and Canadian Badlands. This work considered potential uses and developed high-level feasibility studies and business plans designed to demonstrate the opportunities and support engagement with prospective investors. The C$25 billion target is undoubtedly ambitious, but the underlying strategy recognizes that tourism growth is about more than simply increasing arrivals. Developing compelling reasons to stay longer, spend more and travel more widely can help Alberta capture greater value from its tourism economy while spreading the benefits of that growth across
To the North, Alberta has set an ambitious goal for the growth of its tourism economy, targeting C$25.0 billion in annual visitor spending by 2035, compared with approximately C$14.4 billion in 2024. Visitor spending reportedly reached C$15.0 billion in 2025, suggesting that the province is already making progress toward that target. Importantly, the strategy is not simply about attracting more visitors. It is about increasing the value of tourism by encouraging longer stays, developing higher-value experiences and creating more reasons to visit throughout the year. Priorities include the development of year-round attractions and all-season resorts, expansion of nature-based experiences, improved air and ground connectivity, support for Indigenous tourism, and addressing
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Everwild is a solid example of the province’s push toward higher-value, year-round visitor experiences. It combines an attraction-like spa experience with overnight accommodation and food and beverage, creating opportunities for both destination visitors and spa day guests. A second Alberta property, Everwild Harmony Nordic Spa & Hotel, is planned as a 5.5-acre lakefront wellness destination with a 26-room boutique hotel, approximately 80,500 square feet of spa site, indoor and outdoor wellness amenities, and a restaurant and lounge, with opening anticipated in 2028. LDP recently participated in DTJ DESIGN’s Experience Innovation forum, held in Breckenridge, Colorado. The focus, “Wellness is the Destination: Reimagining the Resort Experience” brought together designers, developers, builders and hospitality operators to explore how wellness is evolving beyond the traditional resort spa to become part of the entire
guest experience, from site planning and indoor- outdoor connections to programming and service. A central theme was how resorts can create wellness experiences that are meaningful and authentic for guests while also delivering long-term value for owners and operators. Attractions and retail in Edmonton The West Edmonton Mall continues to add new “retailtainment” tenants, joining the World Waterpark, Galaxyland Powered by Hasbro, DRIVE Go Karts, and others. The Museum of Illusions opened in May of this year, with the chain now operating more than 70 attractions globally across 5 continents. This interactive, perception-altering space features science- and art-based exhibits using mirrors and perspective tricks.
Everwild Canmore. Photo credit Pete O’Hara
Scotia Palace rendering, Opening fall 2027
combines a 99-room hotel with an extensive indoor and outdoor Nordic spa, restaurant and wellness programming. The spa encompasses nearly 40,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor facilities and centers on a Nordic-style thermal circuit incorporating hot, cold and tempered pools, saunas, steam and salt rooms, outdoor relaxation areas and fire gardens, complemented by treatments and guided wellness programming. From a destination-development perspective, Everwild Canmore is notable for combining wellness, accommodation, dining and the natural setting of the Canadian Rockies into a year-round visitor experience. The property is designed around its mountain location, with outdoor thermal areas and relaxation spaces overlooking the surrounding landscape, while its Nordic wellness offer provides another leisure product beyond the region’s traditional skiing, hiking and sightseeing experiences. The approximately C$27 million spa investment also represents the flagship of a broader Everwild expansion, with additional destinations underway in Banff, Fernie and Harmony, west of Calgary
retail and public spaces is designed to make the development an entertainment destination within the wider district. The value comes not only from the primary venue or event, but from creating multiple reasons to visit, stay longer and spend across a broader range of experiences. Wellness in Canmore Just west of Calgary and 20 minutes from Banff, the new Everwild Nordic Spa opened in fall 2025. Everwild is a Nordic-inspired spa and hotel destination that Scotia Place is a great example of the type of investment that supports the province’s broader visitor-value strategy.
Location highlight: Brazil
Beto Carrero World (Penha, Santa Catarina), is undertaking a major R$2 billion, multi-year expansion aimed at transforming the theme park into a broader resort destination. The plan includes three new themed areas, new attractions, and three hotel towers totalling approximately 600 rooms, designed to encourage longer, multi- day stays. New additions include the recently opened Galinha Pintadinha area and a planned SpongeBob SquarePants-themed land developed with Paramount, featuring a major Intamin family launch coaster targeted for 2028. Overall, the investment represents a significant expansion of Beto Carrero World’s entertainment and hospitality offering, strengthening its position as a destination resort rather than primarily a single- day attraction. Major expansions at existing hubs Together, these additions demonstrate Beach Park’s continued evolution from a standalone water park into a more comprehensive, multi-day leisure and resort destination. development is expected to involve carnival artist Paulo Barros and actors José de Abreu and Antônio Grassi. Once developed, the park is projected to attract approximately 3 million visitors annually and generate around 8,000 jobs, including an estimated 5,600 positions during construction and 2,400 direct operational roles. Vila dos Smurfs Vila dos Smurfs, located in São Paulo, Brazil, officially opened on July 31, 2026, introducing Latin America’s first Smurfs theme park. Located in the Saúde district of São Paulo’s Southern Zone, the indoor attraction encompasses more than 5,000 square meters and is organized into three themed environments: Smurf Village, the Enchanted Forest, and Gargamel’s Cabin. Designed primarily as a family entertainment destination, the park features more than 15 immersive experiences, including a dark roller coaster, motion-
Surreal, which opened at Beach Park’s Aqua Park in March 2025, is the centerpiece of the resort’s recent investment in new attractions. Billed as the world’s tallest water coaster, Surreal begins 28 meters above ground and extends approximately 343 meters, combining steep drops with water- powered uphill sections, high-banked turns, lighting and sound effects, and a surfing-inspired theme. Developed with WhiteWater using its Master Blaster technology, Surreal represents the largest attraction introduced in Aqua Park’s history. Located in Porto das Dunas in Aquiraz, Ceará, near Fortaleza, Beach Park has evolved over its roughly 40-year history into a broader destination resort centered around Aqua Park. The water park features more than 30 attractions and is complemented by upscale resort accommodations, the Vila Azul do Mar dining and entertainment area, and the nearby ecological Parque Arvorar. The company has continued to expand its resort offering alongside its attractions: in 2025, it announced the new Ohana Beach Park Resort, a beachfront property with 226 accommodations and a reported investment of R$150 million, while Surreal represented an additional R$30 million investment. Together, these additions demonstrate Beach Park’s continued evolution from a standalone water park into a more comprehensive, multi-day leisure and resort destination. The development reflects the continued growth of indoor, intellectual property- driven family entertainment concepts in major Latin American markets. simulator attractions, interactive media, and live character shows. The development reflects the continued growth of indoor, intellectual property- driven family entertainment concepts in major Latin American markets. At the same time, Play Center Family is developing a roughly 10,000-square-meter gamified indoor entertainment park at Shopping Center Norte, further expanding São Paulo’s portfolio of indoor attractions.
Brazil: Beach Park, Surreal Slide
The attractions development scene in Brazil is undergoing an unprecedented, multi-billion dollar boom, marking a significant shift toward master- planned, world-class entertainment infrastructure. Spurred by a massive post-pandemic recovery— including a record 9.3 million international arrivals - Brazil is transitioning from more isolated amusement sites into major entertainment hubs designed to capture long-stay, domestic, and international vacationers. Major investment pipeline is driving dozens of fresh developments across the country. Brazil’s themed entertainment ecosystem is stepping out of the shadow of perpetual “Big Operator” rumours to develop its own heavily capitalized properties. Cacau Park Located in Itu, São Paulo, Cacau Park is Brazil’s most ambitious current project. Spearheaded by Cacau Show, the country’s largest chocolate brand, this $330 million chocolate-themed mega park spans 40 hectares with five themed zones and is scheduled to open in 2027. It features partnerships
with international suppliers like Vekoma and Zamperla. The massive complex will feature over 50 attractions including Latin America’s tallest and fastest launch roller coaster, as well as a shopping mall, two hotels, and a chocolate factory, highlighting the operations of chocolate manufacturer and developer Cacau Show. Initial annual attendance estimates for the park are 3.0 million visitors, which would place it above Beto Carrero World in Penha, Brazil, the current market leader. Puy du Fou Puy du Fou, the renowned historical pageant and immersive entertainment brand, has signed a letter of intent to develop its first Latin American park on an approximately 250-hectare site in São José do Imbassaí, Maricá, adjacent to the Maraey tourism and real estate development. The project represents an estimated initial investment of R$1.5 billion and will center on large-scale, immersive live shows and theatrical performances rather than traditional mechanical rides and roller coasters. Programming will showcase the history and culture of Brazil and Maricá, drawing inspiration from Darcy Ribeiro’s landmark book O Povo Brasileiro. The creative
Major new attractions may require years of planning and significant capital investment, but creating a fresh reason to visit does not always require something new to be built.
Kathleen LaClair shares industry insights Expert view
LDP recent project mix
24% Resorts, clusters and mixed use
21% FECs, indoor parks & play
19% Theme parks
6% Museum & gallery, science centre
5% Sports entertainment
5% Viewing attractions
• Attendance: Does the event generate incremental visits or simply shift visits that would otherwise occur at another time? • Repeat visitation: Does a changing program give local and regional audiences a reason to return? • Seasonality: Can the event strengthen historically softer operating periods? • Length of stay: Can evening or extended programming keep guests on site longer? • Secondary spend: Can themed food, beverage and merchandise create additional spending opportunities? • Capacity: Can programming activate underutilized spaces or different parts of the operating day? • Market diversification: Can the same attraction appeal to families during the day and a different audience in the evening? • Capital efficiency: Can temporary programming create a meaningful new guest proposition without the investment required for a major permanent attraction? A particularly interesting example is Gaylord Resorts’ signature holiday attraction, ICE! (featured on the cover of this edition). Each participating resort receives more than two million pounds of ice that is
transformed into elaborate, IP-driven environments for the November and December holiday period. By rotating the intellectual property and story used at individual resorts, Gaylord can refresh the guest proposition while retaining the established ICE! format. Guests move through colorful, floor-to-ceiling scenes featuring recognizable characters and stories, tunnels, large-scale sculptures, photo opportunities and ice slides, creating an experience that is markedly different from the resorts’ normal offer. ICE! draws up to 1.4 million visitors annually across multiple locations and runs for approximately 45 days at each property. Seasonal attractions can generate incremental leisure demand during periods when group demand may soften and can contribute to stronger transient occupancy and room rates.
A reason to return: How special events are reshaping attractions Major new attractions may require years of planning and significant capital investment, but creating a fresh reason to visit does not always require something new to be built. Seasonal and special- event programming allows operators to transform the guest experience around existing rides, exhibits, shows and physical assets, giving familiar attractions a different identity at different points in the year. Halloween has developed into a major attendance period for many theme parks, while holiday light festivals have transformed zoos, botanical gardens and other seasonal attractions into compelling nighttime destinations. Spring festivals, food events and summer entertainment are extending the strategy across the calendar. The result is an important shift in how attractions can be viewed: not simply as fixed physical products, but as flexible platforms that can be reprogrammed for different seasons, audiences and occasions. From a business perspective, the opportunity goes well beyond simply adding another event to the calendar. Operators and developers should consider several fundamental questions:
4% Immersive
4% Waterparks
4% Heritage
3% Wildlife, nature and botanic
3% Event venue or show
2% Workplace brand centre or hall of fame
69%
23%
5% 3%
Feasibility
Enhancement Strategy/other Due Diligence
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LDP’s experience analyzing holiday programming associated with lodging properties indicates that successful events can also support the wider resort business. Seasonal attractions can generate incremental leisure demand during periods when group demand may soften and can contribute to stronger transient occupancy and room rates. Other potential benefits extend beyond overnight guests, including local and regional day visitors, additional on-site food, beverage and retail spending, and the marketing exposure generated by a visually distinctive, highly shareable event. Outdoor winter light trails and large-scale illumination or projection-mapping events offer another effective model. These experiences can transform gardens, zoos, heritage attractions and parks at times of year, or times of day, when their underlying physical assets may traditionally have less drawing power. Increasingly, European-style Christmas markets, seasonal food and beverage, entertainment and social spaces are broadening these events beyond the light display itself. The result can be an experience that encourages guests to spend more time on site and positions the attraction as a social destination. However, more programming is not necessarily better programming. As attractions add Halloween events, winter light trails, Christmas markets, food festivals and other limited-time experiences, there is a risk of programming simply for the sake of having something new to promote. To generate a genuinely incremental visit, an event needs to feel sufficiently different from the normal operating experience. Quality and originality therefore matter more than the sheer number of events. The strongest programs build on the character of the attraction while transforming the guest experience through distinctive entertainment, theming, food and beverage, nighttime operation or other elements that guests would not encounter during a typical visit. The investment required to make an event genuinely special therefore needs to be considered against the incremental admissions, food and beverage, retail and other revenues it can generate.
belong here?” Programming connected to an attraction’s brand, physical setting, cultural identity, story or intellectual property can create a stronger and more defensible proposition than a generic seasonal overlay. Ultimately, the goal should not be to fill every available space on the calendar. It should be to
develop a smaller number of high-quality experiences that guests recognize, anticipate and eventually incorporate into their own annual traditions. Done well, seasonal programming can broaden audiences, encourage repeat visitation, extend the useful life of existing assets and give guests a compelling reason to rediscover a place they thought they already knew.
Every additional event also introduces operational and financial complexity. Seasonal programming may require temporary infrastructure, specialized entertainment, additional staffing and training, extended operating hours and different approaches to guest circulation and capacity management. Weather can be a significant factor, particularly for winter and nighttime events, while production costs can rise quickly when an experience depends on extensive lighting, décor, performers or highly themed environments. The investment required to make an event genuinely special therefore needs to be considered against the incremental admissions, food and beverage, retail and other revenues it can generate. Perhaps the most important question is whether an event creates demand rather than simply redistributing it. A successful program might attract a new audience, encourage an additional visit from an existing customer, extend the operating season, activate a quieter day part or support premium pricing and higher secondary spending. By contrast, if guests who would have visited anyway simply move their visit to the event period, the incremental attendance benefit is more limited. Understanding where event attendance comes from is therefore more meaningful than looking at headline visitation alone. Differentiation is becoming increasingly important as seasonal programming proliferates. In some markets, guests can now choose among numerous light trails, pumpkin festivals, haunted attractions and Christmas markets. What once felt novel can quickly become commonplace. The strategic question is therefore not simply “What seasonal event can we host?” but “Why does this event Programming connected to an attraction’s brand, physical setting, cultural identity, story or intellectual property can create a stronger and more defensible proposition than a generic seasonal overlay.
Why Attractions Matter People build visitor attractions for many reasons – and at LDP, we understand them all. Whether it’s about maximizing return on investment, fuelling tourism, or shaping a destination’s identity, attractions play a critical role in economic and community growth. • Driving ROI – Attractions generate revenue and can be very profitable in their own right • Spurring Tourism – They bring visitors, boost local businesses, and create lasting experiences • Creating Jobs – From operations to hospitality, attractions drive employment across industries • Elevating Real Estate Value – Integrated attractions enhance footfall, and brand value • Filling Hotel Beds – Attractions drive overnight tourism and synergies with hospitality • Strengthening City Identity – Iconic attractions shape reputations and foster civic pride Attractions don’t just entertain—they transform economies, cities, and real estate landscapes. At LDP, we help clients unlock their full potential through data-driven strategy and expert insights. In this edition of the Experience Economist we explore some of the impacts of this extraordinary industry in the Americas.
COTALAND Austin Texas. Photo credit COTALAND
20 THE EXPERIENCE ECONOMIST: AMERICAS EDITION 2026 | © LDP
THE EXPERIENCE ECONOMIST: AMERICAS EDITION 2026 | © LDP 21
Meet the LDP experts
Michael Collins CEO & Senior Partner michael@leisuredevelopment.co.uk
Yael Coifman Senior Partner yael@leisuredevelopment.co.uk
Natalia Bakhlina Partner natalia@leisuredevelopment.co.uk
James Kennard Partner james@leisuredevelopment.co.uk
Kathleen LaClair Partner LDP Americas kathleen@leisuredevelopment.co.uk
Sam Davey Senior Associate sam@leisuredevelopment.co.uk
Isabel Gross Senior Associate isabel@leisuredevelopment.co.uk
Megan Hiatt Associate megan@leisuredevelopment.co.uk
Liz Laurent Research Analyst liz@leisuredevelopment.co.uk
Unlock your next chapter in visitor attractions At Leisure Development Partners (LDP) , we help developers, operators, and investors turn bold ideas into successful destinations. Whether you’re exploring new concepts, optimizing an existing attraction, or looking to drive economic and tourism impact , LDP delivers the strategic insights and data-driven intelligence you need to make informed decisions. Let’s talk about your next project. leisuredevelopment.co.uk
Special thanks to our research contributors Dylan Parsons, Jamie Daffin and Seb Roberts.
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