Lecture

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Lecture 4 Tourism Management Attractions

• Lecture Objectives
• Understand tourism infrastructure development
  theme parks
• Concept and practice
• Examine theme parks development in China
• 3 specific cases
• Discuss authenticity by examining theme park as
  a built attraction
• The Authentic vs. the Aesthetic

Useful References Ap, J. (2003). An assessment of
theme park development in China. In Yu, L., Ap,
J. Zhang, G. (Eds.), Tourism in China, pp.
196-214. New York The Haworth Hospitality Press
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Understand tourism infrastructure
developmentTheme parks
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• What is theme park?
• gt Western perspective vs. Chinese perspective
• Western
• Open-air venues of cohesive environment
• Mixture of attractions with fantasy rides,
  cultural reconstructions and leisure, as well as
  entertainment facilities
• Representing cultural identities with help of
  advanced technology

4
Source Wong K.F and Cheung W.Y (1999),
Strategic theming in theme park marketing,
Journal of Vocational Marketing, Vol.5, No.4, pp
319-331
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What is theme park? gt Western perspective vs.
Chinese perspective Contd

• Chinese ? Turning every destination into a
  theme-park?
• Man-made stages and properties featuring certain
  subject(s) for entertainment and recreation
  purposes (Bao, J. 1999)
• Man-made attraction for tourism, recreation and
  entertainment activities (Deng, Z. 1998)
• Less distinguishable between theme parks,
  amusement parks, entertainment centres and
  museums regarding their roles in entertainment,
  education and tourism (Zhang 1998)
• Theme parks are somehow interchangeable with
  man-made attraction in China (Ap, J 2003)

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Examine theme parks development in China case
analysis
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Case 1 Theme parks in Shenzhen Property
development
Is theme park development in Shenzhen a real
successful story?
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Problems in Theme Park Development in China

• They were supply-led build the park and they
  will come
• There is widespread copying of successful theme
  parks
• Hong Kong Disneyland
• Shanghai Disneyland
• Beijing Universal Studio
• What more copies of those may come in the next 10
  years????
• There is an oversupply of theme parks
• Little consideration is given to new or
  innovative facilities to give parks individuality
  and distinctiveness
• Consideration of guest expectations is
  insufficient
• HK Disneyland vs. HK Ocean Park
• A lack of value for money leads to one-time visits

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Case 2 Movie-induced theme parkCCTV NANHAI TV
AND MOVIE TOWN
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Theme parks are supply-led gt building the park
and they will come over-supply copying
successful theme parks

• By 2003, there had been more than 30 Movie-TV
  Towns
• About 5 of them named themselves East Hollywood
  TV and Movie Town and / or The biggest
  TV-Movie Town in Asia
• CCTV NANHAI TV AND MOVIE TOWN copying the
  successful mode of Universal Studio, with typical
  Chinese failure features

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Typical Chinese failure features manifest
in CCTV NANHAI TV AND MOVIE TOWN

• Little consideration is given to new or
  innovative facilities to give parks individuality
  and distinctiveness

China Top 10 TV and Movie Town with
ranking ????? ????? ?????? ????? ???????? ????????
????? ?????? ????? ?????
Souvenir sale
Unsafe facility
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Typical Chinese failure features manifest inCCTV
NANHAI TV AND MOVIE TOWN (Contd)

• Consideration of guest expectations is
  insufficient
• Poor accessibility
• Location in the middle of Fushan and Guangzhou
• Direct bus service to and from the two cities 0
• gt Consequence lt20 could make the trip
  independently
• A lack of value for money leads to one-time visits

13
Discuss authenticity by examining theme park as
a built attraction
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• Theme park as a built attraction leads to the
  debate over authenticity regarding
• The Authentic vs. the Aesthetic
• While tourists demand authenticity
• be real, genuine, original
• Tourists expect aesthetic reflexivity
• be nice, beautiful, attractive
• Tourism industry has to make authenticity in
  response to tourists demand and expectation by
  producing
• Attractions such as theme parks that are
  reproduced and labeled the authentic
• A critical issue needs to be considered
• Dilemma over conservation and change

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• How is authenticity made in Chinas theme parks?
• Display of some national and cultural essence,
  e.g.
• Splendid China
• China Folk Culture Village
• Tourist industry creates contemporary mythology
  via theme parks
• Expression in modernized ways
• In line with dominant ideology of nationalism
• Demonstration of landscape with essence of the
  nation (mostly tailored)
• Iconographic landscape
• Cultural spirit, people and folk

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• Filtering of cultural essence
• Critical for state-support tourism development
• Eradication of inglorious past or reality
• Hiding primitive aspect
• Dimming character strengthening local ethnic
  identity
• Emphasizing Chinas modernity
• Making use of signs and indicators of modernity
• Tourism an important driving force for Chinas
  modernization campaign, especially the false
  modern?