Nearly 160 million people a year go to amusement parks in Europe and a recent survey found that nearly half of them are adults who go there without children. After a 1)surging growth in the theme park business in the United States and Asia, Europe has become the new battleground or shall we say the new playground for theme park giants.
The industry of theme parks has something for everyone. In the United States many amusement and theme parks have seen attendance drop this year notably holiday destination centers run by Disney and Universal. The slowing U.S. economy is scaring consumers who are spending less time and money on travel. Parks that attract day-trip visitors are faring better. But their revenues are vulnerable to wind and rain.
As a result the industry leader may end up $30 million under its 2001 global revenue target of $1.1 billion. But despite the unpredictable weather and slowing economies, the theme park industry in Europe is growing. Analysts are heartened by improving 2)margins at Euro Disney, which is planning its second park outside Paris in the year 2002. And next year Six Flags willboast 39 centers worldwide when it opens a new Warner Brothers Movie World in Madrid, Spain.
Six Flags got a 3)foothold in Europe back in 1998 when it bought the Leewee Group, which had six parks in France, Belgium and Holland. In Europe there are over 200 theme parks. Many are small privately owned businesses. They attract 180 million visitors annually who spend over $2 billion. And surprisingly the main concentration of these parks is in the often damp and gray north.
While Europeans on average spend $13 per park visit, Americans pay nearly three times as much. And most Europeans will oblige if they get good value for money that usually means cartoon character theme rides for the very young and 4)scary state-of-the-art experiences for nearly everyone else. Basically, people need to be entertained.
歐洲主題公園----人們游樂(lè)的新寵
每年約有一億六千多萬(wàn)人暢游歐洲的游樂(lè)場(chǎng)，最近的調(diào)查發(fā)現(xiàn)，幾乎半數(shù)是成年人，他們沒(méi)有帶小孩同行。美國(guó)和亞洲的主題公園蓬勃發(fā)展過(guò)后，歐洲成了新的戰(zhàn)場(chǎng)，或者應(yīng)該說(shuō)是大型主題公園的新游樂(lè)場(chǎng)。
主題公園滿足追求刺激的每一個(gè)人。今年，美國(guó)很多游樂(lè)場(chǎng)和主題公園的入場(chǎng)人數(shù)下降，迪斯尼和環(huán)球的度假中心尤為明顯。美國(guó)經(jīng)濟(jì)速度放緩使消費(fèi)者驚恐，于是減少旅游的時(shí)間和金錢。吸引即日來(lái)回游客的公園情況較好，但是收入很受風(fēng)雨天氣影響。
結(jié)果行業(yè)巨頭收入可能會(huì)為三千萬(wàn)美元，而他們2001年的全球收入目標(biāo)是十一億美元。可是盡管天氣變幻莫測(cè)和經(jīng)濟(jì)速度放緩，歐洲的主題公園仍在不斷增長(zhǎng)。歐洲迪斯尼的上升盈利令分析家歡欣鼓舞，計(jì)劃在2002年在巴黎外開(kāi)設(shè)第二個(gè)公園。六旗夸下?？谡f(shuō)，明年在全球建立三十九個(gè)中心，同時(shí)在西班牙的馬德里新辦一家華納兄弟電影公司。
六旗在1998年通過(guò)收購(gòu)利威集團(tuán)進(jìn)軍歐洲。利威集團(tuán)在法國(guó)、比利時(shí)和何蘭擁有六個(gè)主題公園。在歐洲有超過(guò)二百個(gè)主題公園，很多規(guī)模很小，由私人擁有。它們每年吸引一億八千萬(wàn)游客，消費(fèi)總額超過(guò)二十億美元。令人驚奇的是，這些主題公園主要集中在通常潮濕和昏暗的北部。
歐洲人每次暢游主題公園的平均花費(fèi)是十三美元，美國(guó)人的消費(fèi)接近它的三倍。大部分歐洲人重視物有所值，年輕人喜歡卡通人物主題旅程，其他幾乎每一個(gè)游客都喜歡駭人聽(tīng)聞的奇幻歷程?；旧?，人人都需要玩樂(lè)。
1) surge v. 洶涌，澎湃
2) margin n. 差額，賺頭
3) foothold n. 立足點(diǎn)
4) scary a. 引起驚慌的，駭人的
The industry of theme parks has something for everyone. In the United States many amusement and theme parks have seen attendance drop this year notably holiday destination centers run by Disney and Universal. The slowing U.S. economy is scaring consumers who are spending less time and money on travel. Parks that attract day-trip visitors are faring better. But their revenues are vulnerable to wind and rain.
As a result the industry leader may end up $30 million under its 2001 global revenue target of $1.1 billion. But despite the unpredictable weather and slowing economies, the theme park industry in Europe is growing. Analysts are heartened by improving 2)margins at Euro Disney, which is planning its second park outside Paris in the year 2002. And next year Six Flags willboast 39 centers worldwide when it opens a new Warner Brothers Movie World in Madrid, Spain.
Six Flags got a 3)foothold in Europe back in 1998 when it bought the Leewee Group, which had six parks in France, Belgium and Holland. In Europe there are over 200 theme parks. Many are small privately owned businesses. They attract 180 million visitors annually who spend over $2 billion. And surprisingly the main concentration of these parks is in the often damp and gray north.
While Europeans on average spend $13 per park visit, Americans pay nearly three times as much. And most Europeans will oblige if they get good value for money that usually means cartoon character theme rides for the very young and 4)scary state-of-the-art experiences for nearly everyone else. Basically, people need to be entertained.
歐洲主題公園----人們游樂(lè)的新寵
每年約有一億六千多萬(wàn)人暢游歐洲的游樂(lè)場(chǎng)，最近的調(diào)查發(fā)現(xiàn)，幾乎半數(shù)是成年人，他們沒(méi)有帶小孩同行。美國(guó)和亞洲的主題公園蓬勃發(fā)展過(guò)后，歐洲成了新的戰(zhàn)場(chǎng)，或者應(yīng)該說(shuō)是大型主題公園的新游樂(lè)場(chǎng)。
主題公園滿足追求刺激的每一個(gè)人。今年，美國(guó)很多游樂(lè)場(chǎng)和主題公園的入場(chǎng)人數(shù)下降，迪斯尼和環(huán)球的度假中心尤為明顯。美國(guó)經(jīng)濟(jì)速度放緩使消費(fèi)者驚恐，于是減少旅游的時(shí)間和金錢。吸引即日來(lái)回游客的公園情況較好，但是收入很受風(fēng)雨天氣影響。
結(jié)果行業(yè)巨頭收入可能會(huì)為三千萬(wàn)美元，而他們2001年的全球收入目標(biāo)是十一億美元。可是盡管天氣變幻莫測(cè)和經(jīng)濟(jì)速度放緩，歐洲的主題公園仍在不斷增長(zhǎng)。歐洲迪斯尼的上升盈利令分析家歡欣鼓舞，計(jì)劃在2002年在巴黎外開(kāi)設(shè)第二個(gè)公園。六旗夸下?？谡f(shuō)，明年在全球建立三十九個(gè)中心，同時(shí)在西班牙的馬德里新辦一家華納兄弟電影公司。
六旗在1998年通過(guò)收購(gòu)利威集團(tuán)進(jìn)軍歐洲。利威集團(tuán)在法國(guó)、比利時(shí)和何蘭擁有六個(gè)主題公園。在歐洲有超過(guò)二百個(gè)主題公園，很多規(guī)模很小，由私人擁有。它們每年吸引一億八千萬(wàn)游客，消費(fèi)總額超過(guò)二十億美元。令人驚奇的是，這些主題公園主要集中在通常潮濕和昏暗的北部。
歐洲人每次暢游主題公園的平均花費(fèi)是十三美元，美國(guó)人的消費(fèi)接近它的三倍。大部分歐洲人重視物有所值，年輕人喜歡卡通人物主題旅程，其他幾乎每一個(gè)游客都喜歡駭人聽(tīng)聞的奇幻歷程?；旧?，人人都需要玩樂(lè)。
1) surge v. 洶涌，澎湃
2) margin n. 差額，賺頭
3) foothold n. 立足點(diǎn)
4) scary a. 引起驚慌的，駭人的