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Pattaya’s new waterparks aim to attract family market

Pattaya’s new waterparks aim to attract family market
September 9, 2014

With Thailand's tourism industry having struggled amid political unrest through much of 2014, a suite of new attractions are aimed at attracting a more family oriented market.

The beachside resort of Pattaya, which struggles with a less than savoury reputation, will soon be welcoming Cartoon Network Amazone, Thailand’s first globally branded waterpark. The multi-million dollar project is the television network’s first visitor attraction and is believed to represent the first in a series of Asian attractions that will compete with the likes of Disney and Universal in the region.

However, family-orientated destinations like Cartoon Network Amazone will face a challenge in convincing tourists that there is more to Pattaya than its nightlife, and that the resort can be a family-friendly destination.

 

 

Pattaya, along with the rest of Thailand, has been on a push to clean up its image. The city has been growing the number of family-friendly tourist locations.

With an inflatable waterpark, Splashdown, opened last year and the Ramayana Water Park set to open next year, Tourist Police Lieutenant Colonel Aroon Promphan explains “visitor demographics are changing.

“Tourists now bring their children to visit Walking Street (Pattaya’s notorious nighlife street). In the past, I don't believe that families would bring small children here. This area has now become more family-oriented."

Pattaya's outskirts have now become home to a number of family-friendly tourist spots - such as a petting zoo, a vineyard, and one of the world's largest Buddha images - offering visitors more than what Pattaya had been known for in the past.

However, with tourist numbers falling as a result of the country's political uncertainty, attractions like Cartoon Network Amazone are looking to the locals to keep its ambitious target of one million visitors in its first year of opening.

Cartoon Network Amazone Chief Executive Liakat Dhanji explained “we're relying on the strength of domestic tourism.

“And I think the Asian growth story in tourism in the future is going to be about domestic demand. And currently, we feel that our breakdown will be approximately 60% domestic and 40%t foreign."

Scheduled to open in July, Cartoon Network Amazone is currently in a pre-opening period.

For more information go to www.cartoonnetworkamazone.com/en

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