Operators around the world are approaching or exceeding their pre-pandemic attendance figures while taking note of industry shifts that might endure for decades to come BURBANK, Calif. , Aug. 15, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- 2023 marked the global end of Covid-19 restrictions, as governments ended travel quarantines and restrictive operating guidelines.
Many facilities around the world, eager to return to a sense of normalcy, lured guests in with new attractions or exhibitions, incentives for repeat visitation, and special events. Many were successful, and the top 25 attended theme parks around the world collectively increased attendance by an impressive 23% over 2022's figures. Museums, having been more negatively impacted throughout the pandemic, increased 95%.
The largest jumps in year-over-year figures (78%) came out of parks in China , which saw the most restrictive operating environment throughout nearly all of 2022. The Americas saw a small 3% increase, with some major parks in the Orlando area slightly down – the result of soft demand for international travel to the United States . Europe remained relatively strong, with a 5% increase driven largely by parks that have invested in more expansive resort offerings.
Details of these dynamics and more can be found in the 2023 TEA/AECOM Theme Index and Museum Index, presented by Storyland Studios, the definitive resource of attendance information on the world's most-visited theme parks, water parks, and museums, now in its 18th a.