After Miral Destinations and Disney announced the first Disney resort in the Middle East last week, Trip.com Group's head of tours and attractions has reported "strong double-digit growth in theme park ticket bookings," declaring 2025 as "THE year for theme parks"
The House of Mouse holds six spots in the top 10 of Trip.com's family-friendly 'Global 100' rankings. Alain Chen, head of tours and attractions, said Disney's dominance in the rankings "mak[e] theme parks the defining attraction of the moment... mega-parks, such as Disneyland and Universal, continue to draw families and thrill-seekers from around the world."
Abu Dhabi's proximity to a third of the world's population within a four-hour flight, reported as a key driver for its selection as the next home of Disney by CEO Bob Iger, almost guarantees it maintains global appeal. That appeal is fitting, as Alain reported, "In Asia-Pacific, leading parks such as Shanghai Disneyland and Universal Studios Japan continue to perform well on our platform.
"In the Americas and Europe, Disneyland California, Walt Disney World (Florida), and Disneyland Paris remain top choices, illustrating a strong appetite for Europe’s first Universal theme park, set to open in Bedfordshire in the UK in 2031, and Disney’s new Middle Eastern theme park."
Alain is optimistic that the growing roster of far-flung theme parks and attractions will not cannibalise the UK & Europe's strong theme park offering.
"Trip.com partners with the Merlin Group, which owns leading attractions such as Alton Towers and Legoland... with this huge network of quality theme parks across Europe, we hope to grow within the domestic European markets, while also attracting a growing group of visitors from Asia seeking unique local experiences at these parks.”
