ARABIAN TRAVEL MARKET
SIX FLAGS THEME PARK, LEGOLAND HOTEL TO BE READY IN 2019
It’s a new concept. It will take a little time until people know about the product, understand what the theme park is and what the experience is like, but [in the] long-term, it will be a successful project.” | Ahmad Hussain Bin Eisa | Deputy chief executive officer at DXB Entertainments
DXB Entertainments, the operator of Dubai Parks and Resorts, said that it is on track to deliver its new developments — a Six Flags theme park and a Legoland Hotel — in the fourth quarter of 2019.
Ahmad Hussain Bin Eisa, deputy chief executive officer at DXB Entertainments, said that some of the buildings have already started coming up, and construction is currently ongoing.
Construction of Six Flags Dubai, the first Six Flags theme park in the region, began in mid-2016, and has an estimated cost of Dh2.6 billion. Together with Legoland Hotel, Six Flags is part of Dubai’s drive to develop theme parks.
Bin Eisa said that though Dubai Parks fell short of its visitor targets in 2017, he was confident that the theme park will be successful on the long term.
“It’s a new concept. It will take a little time until people know about the product, understand what the theme park is and what the experience is like, but [in the] long-term, it will be a successful project,” he told Gulf News on the sidelines of the Arabian Travel Market exhibition.
In 2017, Dubai Parks and Resorts received around 2.3 million visitors, well below
its initial target of 6.7 million visitors for the year.
But the deputy CEO is more optimistic about performance in 2018, citing visitation numbers for the first quarter of 2018.
Dubai Parks saw 851,000 visits in the first three months of this year, a 45 per cent jump year-on-year.
“I think we are going towards our target for 2018. So far, with those numbers, I think we are going to achieve the target of 2018,” Bin Eisa said, without disclosing what the company’s targets are for the year.
To attract these increased visitations, Dubai Parks is on a promotional drive, participating in travel exhibitions in the UK and Russia, and conducting roadshows in India, China, and Europe.
Diversified strategy
“We have a diversified strategy to attract more tourists,” Bin Eisa said.
Besides roadshows and exhibitions, DXB Entertainments has partnership deals
It’s [theme park] a new concept. It will take a little time until people know about the product, understand what the theme park is and what the experience is like, but [in the] long-term, it will be a successful project.” Ahmad Hussain Bin Eisa | DXB Entertainments deputy CEO
with Dubai’s tourism body and with Emirates Airline to promote the destination.
On Sunday, the operator also announced a partnership with Dubai Airports that includes promoting Dubai Parks and Resorts to the over 88 million passengers travelling through the emirate’s airports every year.