A new decade of expansion
China is now the world’s second-largest theme park market and continues to expand despite short-term softening in visitation.
The Experience Economist is a new series of industry publications from Leisure Development Partners (LDP), the leading firm in visitor attractions economics and strategy.
Macroeconomic Update Attendance growth remained modest across both Asia and China, with Asia up +1.1% and China +0.7%. Underlying performance was more uneven, with like-for-like attendance slightly declining in China, Indonesia and Vietnam, but increasing in India, Hong Kong and Japan. Economic impact outpaced attendance growth, rising +6.3% in Asia and +6.8% in China, primarily driven by increases in ticket pricing and in-park spend, alongside the contribution of new capacity from openings such as Legoland Shanghai and Shanghai Yaoxue Water World.
TOTAL
CHINA
Shanghai Disney Resort
2024
2025
2024
2025
DIFFERENCE
DIFFERENCE
China City Tier System The China city tier system provides a useful framework for understanding the relative stage of development across the country. Based on a combination of GDP, population, infrastructure, and economic influence, it highlights the significant disparity in wealth and consumer behaviour between cities. The city tier system highlights stark regional differences in wealth and consumer behaviour. Tier 1 cities such as Shanghai and Shenzhen exceed US$30,000 GDP per capita, while Tier 2 and 3 cities typically sit between US$10,000-18,000. As cities pass the US$12,000-15,000 threshold, discretionary spending accelerates, creating an S-curve of demand. Tier 1 cities are transitioning into maturity with higher expectations and slower growth, while lower tiers are entering a period of strong expansion. Opportunity is therefore distributed across tiers, with distinct demand profiles by location.
In this edition of The Experience Economist: APAC, we update macroeconomic insights from our 2025 report and take a more focused look at China. With IAAPA Asia recently held in Shanghai and Hong Kong, this is a timely moment to assess market performance and identify future opportunities. China is now the world’s second-largest theme park market and continues to expand despite short-term softening in visitation. The long-term growth story remains strong: fewer than 30% of the population has visited a theme park, compared with ~70% in more mature markets. With visitation at c.187 visits per 1,000 people – well below Japan and South Korea – the market retains significant headroom. Crucially, China’s entertainment market is unevenly developed. Tier 1 cities are maturing, while Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities are entering a phase of rapid leisure consumption growth. The next decade of expansion will be driven by scaling quality offerings into these rising urban markets.
498 million
504 million
261 million
263 million
1.1%
0.7%
Attendance
Visits per 1,000 residents
0.7%
1.1%
135
136
185
187
Total economic interest
6.3%
6.8%
$34.8bn
$37.0bn
$17.3bn
$18.4bn
Total employment impact
0.7%
0.6%
590,600
595,000
319,000
321,000
2 THE EXPERIENCE ECONOMIST: ASIA PACIFIC (APAC) EDITION 2026 FOCUS ON CHINA
THE EXPERIENCE ECONOMIST: ASIA PACIFIC (APAC) EDITION 2026 FOCUS ON CHINA | © LDP 3
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