Over 70 years ago, while standing before more than 240 acres of land in California, Walt Disney suddenly imagined a "gigantic" land – a place that was not just a theme park with rides, but a "paradise" combining various forms of entertainment, art, and culture. A place that, whether you were 5, 10, 20, 40, or even 60 years old… you could still "dream" of.
Disney's seemingly "fantastical" dream was the starting point for the journey to "paint an impossible picture" of the global entertainment industry, with billion-dollar complexes attracting up to 150 million visitors annually.
Billion-dollar entertainment empires
In 1955, the first Disneyland park officially opened in California (USA). It is an "all-in-one" entertainment, recreation, and resort complex that satisfies the modern world 's thirst for unique experiences. In its first seven weeks after opening, Disneyland attracted one million visitors.
Today, the Disney World system spans continents with 12 park complexes. These complexes are also considered "money-making machines," generating billions of dollars annually for many destinations. In 2016, with an investment of up to $5.5 billion, the Shanghai Disney Resort – a comprehensive complex offering entertainment, golf courses, and resort accommodations nestled among the rivers of Pudong – officially opened. Statistics from 2019 show that this complex contributed to a 0.21% increase in Shanghai's GDP and a 4.09% increase in the city's tourism revenue between 2016 and 2019.
Meanwhile, in South Korea, built by Samsung in 1976 and nestled amidst the rolling mountains and lush green forests of Yongin city, Everland Resort boasts the largest amusement park in South Korea, attracting an average of 8 million visitors annually. Besides the theme park, Everland also features a complex of amenities including a water park, safari park, resort, golf course, and race track. In 2023, the complex generated revenue of 775.2 billion won.
According to data from World Metrics, in 2018, the number of visitors to theme parks reached over 543 million – approximately 7% of the world's population. In 2019, globally, this industry generated over $52 billion and is projected to have a compound annual growth rate of 7.9% between 2020 and 2027, with Asia being a hotspot at 7.5%.
It can be said that all-in-one complexes combined with amusement parks remain the "trump card" of the tourism industry. Therefore, it is not surprising that the world's "powerhouses" continue to pursue this trend. For example, the UAE has begun developing the 334km² Qiddiya Complex – a mega-project for entertainment and tourism in Jeddah, featuring resorts, parks, and a race track.
Meanwhile, last year Japan also approved a $13.5 billion plan to build a massive complex in Osaka with an amusement park, convention center, hotel, restaurants, and casino.
The "brand face" archetype elevates the destination.
More than just theme parks, reminiscent of Disney's "ambition" over half a century ago, tourism and entertainment complexes like Disney World, Universal Studios, and Everland are also "combinations of fairs, exhibitions, playgrounds, community centers, museums, and resorts . " With systematic investment, it's no surprise that these complexes quickly become "brand faces," elevating tourism and contributing to the overall socio -economic development of many destinations.
In Beijing, China, the Universal Beijing Resort complex, which includes a theme park, restaurants, shops, two resort hotels, and 37 attractions, helped boost the revenue growth of the culture, sports, and entertainment sector in Tongzhou District by 101.6% in 2022, surpassing the Beijing average of 97.7%.
For example, in 2018-2019, more than two-thirds of surveyed tourists said they came to Shanghai because of Disneyland, and most stayed for 2-3 days, generating revenue for accommodation and related services. Meanwhile, since its opening, in addition to contributing nearly HK$130 billion to the economy of "the fragrant harbor," Hong Kong Disneyland Resort has also created nearly 291,000 jobs in the country's tourism industry. Nearly 60% of Hong Kong Disneyland Resort's total workforce has been working there for 5 years or more.
In Vietnam, over the years, many destinations have established themselves on the regional tourism map and created momentum for socio-economic development thanks to their well-planned, large-scale entertainment complexes, attracting millions of visitors annually. The most prominent example is Da Nang with its "fairyland" Sun World Ba Na Hills.
In 2009, right after Sun World Ba Na Hills launched its first cable car line, Da Nang's tourism industry experienced a boom with 1.35 million visitors, a 12.8% increase compared to the same period in 2008. From 2009 to 2018, the number of tourists to Da Nang surged by 463%, and the number of visitors to Ba Na Hills increased more than 160 times.
After 15 years, according to statistics from many travel agencies, out of every 10 tourists, 8-9 request to visit Ba Na Hills to see the Golden Bridge. In the first 6 months of 2024 alone, 70% of the nearly 1.5 million international tourists who came to Da Nang chose to visit Ba Na Hills.
Simultaneously, Ba Na Hills is currently contributing to the direct creation of hundreds of local jobs and indirectly generating "symbiotic" revenue for supporting service activities such as food and beverage, transportation, and tourism, helping a large number of local people have a more stable income compared to farming and forestry. These figures speak for themselves, demonstrating the role of this complex in the socio-economic development of Da Nang.
Continue writing the big dream.
Disney World, despite having reached its peak of fame, is committed to investing $60 billion over the next 10 years in Disneylands, with 70% allocated to new experiences and the remaining 30% to technology and infrastructure, including the maintenance of existing attractions. Similarly, Ba Na Hills has continuously innovated over the years to retain and bring tourists back to Da Nang.
Following the "explosion" that brought Vietnam to the world with the Golden Bridge in 2018, countless impressive experiences and structures have been introduced, such as the Gate of Time, the Moon Castle, the Eclipse Square, the Sun God Waterfall, and more recently, the craft brewery with the Sun KraftBeer brand, as well as a series of shows featuring top stars from the global entertainment industry such as Fairy Blossom, WOW Kingdom, Rainbow…
In the vision of Sun Group - Vietnam's leading tourism developer - with a total investment of over 39 trillion VND, Ba Na Hills will not only remain as it is now but will also aim for the level of a "Genting or Disneyland of Vietnam," helping Da Nang reach tens of millions of visitors annually.
That strategic vision, coupled with the Group's unwavering commitment to quality, class, and distinctiveness, has been highly praised by experts. "I call it distinctiveness. The Da Nang International Fireworks Festival is one of a kind; the Golden Bridge is unique. Or the InterContinental Danang Sun Peninsula Resort has always been a symbol of unique architectural resort design… Defining such high-class distinctiveness is a way to guide other businesses to continue contributing to Da Nang – consistently but always with a difference," commented economist Tran Dinh Thien.
Walt Disney once asserted that theme parks would always thrive to meet the needs of visitors. The journey of realizing the grand dream of Ba Na Hills, Disneyland, and other similar destinations will undoubtedly continue with additions, upgrades, constant innovation, and diversification of experiences to create iconic tourist destinations that will leave a lasting mark.
The global influence of billion-dollar entertainment empires is also a measure of a destination's success. Therefore, with the determination to invest heavily in Ba Na Hills, Da Nang tourism will increasingly flourish, soon reaching new heights on the world tourism map.
Source: https://kinhtedothi.vn/to-hop-du-lich-ty-do-thuoc-do-thanh-cong-cua-nhung-diem-den-toan-cau.html
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