David Sangree and Kate Cheung attended the World Waterpark Association Conference in Orlando this past October. The event drew strong attendance and featured a dynamic trade show showcasing the latest innovations and products shaping the waterpark industry. As part of WWA’s Waterpark Design, Development & Expansion Workshop, David and Kate presented an educational session on

At the 2025 IAAPA Expo, H&LA had great session from David Sangree and Placer.ai’s Elizabeth Lafontaine. The presentation highlighted the important role of reliable, actionable data in operations, marketing, and strategic planning for waterparks, FECs, and attractions. Thank you to Placer.ai for partnering with H&LA on this session. Understanding the Data A Breakdown of Attractions

At a time when financing for hospitality development projects is challenging for developers, it can often mean that some projects won’t ever come to fruition. At the same time, municipalities would like to increase their hotel or resort offerings to attract travelers to their destinations while remaining fiscally responsible. When developers seek government assistance for

In 2022, waterpark owners and operators breathed a sigh of relief as the industry shifted back to normal in the wake of two years of uncertainty. With the pandemic a rearview concern in 2022, most waterparks continued their recovery to see attendance improve. This robust performance paved the way for new growth in all segments

This article was created for and first published by InPark Magazine, and is shared with permission. Visit www.inparkmagazine.com. The waterpark industry continues to flourish in the United States and Canada. While the pandemic slowed demand and growth in 2020 and 2021, 2022 has largely been a return to normal for operators but also for developers

After two years of pandemic concerns that saw many waterparks remain closed throughout 2020 and suffer continued disruption in 2021, 2022 is anticipated to be a pivot back to normal for the industry. As vaccines are now widely available and COVID becomes endemic, waterparks are poised to capitalize on pent-up demand and return to pre-COVID

Over the past few decades, there has been a growing trend globally of hotels and resorts adding waterpark attractions and features. Some properties have added one or two slides, and some have built a substantial waterpark attached to the resort. H&LA conducted a study for WhiteWater, the leading global manufacturer and designer of waterpark equipment,

Despite 2020 challenges, growth within the U.S. waterpark market is projected for 2021: See the article as published by WWA. The COVID-19 crisis was the definitive event of 2020. The lodging and attractions industries were among the most negatively impacted sectors and experienced record declines in occupancy, attendance, and revenue. With mandated closures, limited capacities,

A hotel feasibility study is generally required by the mortgage lender or investor before a developer or organization is able to move forward with constructing a new hotel. Typically completed by an independent third-party consultant who specializes in analyzing hotel projects, a feasibility study determines whether a proposed hotel development is economically feasible and if

At the beginning of 2020, the continuing trend of two decades of growth was expected in the waterpark industry. Major projects will open throughout the United States in both the indoor and outdoor waterpark categories totaling over $1 billion in investment in 2020. Fourteen new standalone waterparks and one resort with outdoor waterpark are anticipated

This article was first published in the April Edition of World Waterpark Magazine For the ever-growing waterpark industry, 2019 will be another year for robust growth as over $1 billion in investment is slated for indoor and outdoor waterparks and their related resorts. We project 21 municipal and private outdoor waterparks will open and three

Introduction The waterpark industry continues to expand in North America, with more than $1 billion in new investment in indoor and outdoor waterparks and their related resorts in 2018. Nearly 60 expansions and new facilities will open in 2018. We project 14 municipal and eight private outdoor waterparks will open, outpacing 2017’s nine municipal and

The waterpark industry continues to expand in North America, with more than $550 million worth of new investment in indoor and outdoor waterparks and their related resorts in 2016.

The waterpark industry continues to expand in North America, with more than $500 million of new investment in indoor and outdoor waterparks and their related resorts in 2015.

The waterpark industry has shown continued growth in 2014 with increased numbers of indoor and outdoor waterparks being developed throughout the United States and Canada.