Theme parks boost winter attractions

International brands have continued to expand their presence in the market. Universal Beijing Resort is planning its second phase construction, covering 2.2 square kilometers, with five more hotels planned. The resort, which includes the Universal Studios Beijing theme park, Universal CityWalk Beijing and two hotels, is expected to welcome more than 10 million tourists a year, and bring in annual revenue of 10 billion yuan. Shanghai Disney also plans an expansion, with an area based on the movie Zootopia under construction.

AECOM said chain operators, which represent 42 percent of the total number of parks in China, continue to increase their portfolio of properties and grow their attendance and revenue in China.

New theme park projects will not target only first- and second-tier cities, but also third- and fourth-tier cities－cities populated by more than 1 million people and considered large by international standards.

Chain operators are expected to gain market share as existing chains constantly strive to develop new parks.

For example, Merlin Entertainments, the large, United Kingdom-based attractions company, plans to open Legoland resorts in Shanghai, Shenzhen and Meishan, Sichuan province. Those resorts will target children from 2 to 12 years old and their families.

MBK Partners, a large private equity fund in Asia, announced in October it would acquire Haichang Ocean Park's assets for $1 billion. The Ocean Park's facilities in Wuhan, Hubei province; Chengdu, Sichuan province; Tianjin; and Qingdao, Shandong province, will be transferred to MBK Partners with 100 percent equity.

Even though international theme parks have doubled down on their investments in the market, domestic theme parks have gained more momentum.

Local chains control the operations of 53 domestic theme parks, according to AECOM.

Chen Zuyao, vice-president of Fantawild, an amusement park based in Shenzhen, said telling a good Chinese story and a localization strategy are vital to really impress local tourists.

Wang Jing, her 9-year-old son and her husband, visited Happy Valley three times during the Golden Week holiday in early October.

Happy Valley, which sits on the edge of the eastern Fourth Ring Road in Beijing, has seen crowds increase even after the opening of Universal.

"For a family trip with a young child, Happy Valley is more affordable and also is a lot of fun, especially for multiple returnees like us," she said.

"But we are also looking forward to the trip to Universal Beijing Resort, where we can talk with Transformers and ride with Minions."