However, the city aims to widen its appeal by building a giant “matrix” of theme parks in the area surrounding the 9-year-old Shanghai Disney Resort, which stretches over 3.9 sq km in Shanghai’s eastern suburbs.
The huge new complex, Shanghai International Resort, will also encompass the Legoland Shanghai Resort which is due to open in mid-2025 and the world’s largest standalone Peppa Pig outdoor theme park, which will launch in 2027.
Though the venues are largely aimed at domestic tourists, they may also attract foreign visitors if they can combine visits to entertainment parks with sightseeing trips to older sites, travel specialists said.
“While historic landmarks will always remain core attractions, Shanghai is seeing a diversification in visitor profiles,” said Subramania Bhatt, CEO of the travel marketing and technology company China Trading Desk.
“With visa-free travel attracting more family-oriented tourists, demand for theme parks and immersive entertainment experiences will grow,” he said.
“However, instead of replacing historical sites, multi-attraction itineraries, for example, Bund plus Disneyland or French Concession plus Legoland, will likely become more common, blending traditional sightseeing with modern experiences.”
The plan appears to nod to this with a pledge to develop more “tourism routes combining air, rail and cruise travel options”.
It also calls for measures to develop major cultural events that can bring in foreign visitors, such as sporting events, music festivals and stage performances.
https://www.channelnewsasia.com/east-asia/shanghai-tourism-plan-disneyland-peppa-pig-visa-policies-5009801
