(Ecns.cn) -- China has a variety of cultural tourist sites, especially historical ones like the Great Wall, the Forbidden City, and the Temple of Heaven. In terms of theme parks, few have succeeded in impressing the natives, not to mention the foreigners, with their unique characteristics.
In 2015, the new Disney Park in Shanghai is expected by many to raise a big challenge to its Chinese counterparts.
Disney's new project in Shanghai is aimed at combining Disney stories and their characters with attractions that are specifically designed for Chinese customers, according to Robert A. Iger, president and CEO of the Walt Disney Company.
A competition of creativity
China's historical sites have won worldwide recognition. Other than the rich heritage, limited efforts have been spent on creative market exploration. There has never been a single world class tourism brand established among the over 10,000 attractions.
For native theme parks, it is an absolute illusion to parallel the popularity of Disney parks all around the world.
The first Chinese theme park, Splendid China in Shenzhen, was completed in 1989. The twenty years since then have seen all sorts of theme parks spring up across the country, far more than the five-member Disney family around the world.
The prevailing quantity advantage won't help much in the upcoming contest. A lack of creativity will give the native parks a direct strike.
"Among all Chinese theme parks, the Happy Valley series is closest to the Disney notion in planning," said Liu Pingyun, independent producer of Shanghai tourist attraction marketing proposals.
Despite the similarity, "Happy Valley can't even compete with the first Disney Park from 1955 in terms of innovative planning," added Liu.
In other fields such as brand promotion and cultural renovation, native theme parks have fallen even further behind.
"Native parks can't follow the steps of Disney, which will only trap them in a passive situation."
