On March 19th, at the 2026 China Tourism and Leisure Entertainment Industry Annual Conference, the "Small and Beautiful" Innovative Cultural Tourism Forum became the center of attention. As a deeply rooted expert in the water park sector, Mr. Li Dongfang, Vice General Manager of Haisan , delivered a captivating keynote speech titled "Water Park Plus: Innovative Integration Defining New Leisure Destinations." He presented the industry with a complete roadmap for the evolution of water parks: from "single entertainment" to "diverse experiences," and from standalone facilities to the "Water Park Plus" integrated model.
From "Playing with Water" to "Mastering the Water Experience": The Iterative Upgrade of Water Parks
Water parks are no longer synonymous with just "pools and slides." From early cooling-off spots to the rise of massive water theme parks, and now to the "Water Park Plus" composite leisure formats, the industry is undergoing a profound transformation.
However, this evolution brings challenges: severe product homogenization, seasonal operational difficulties, and limited experience conversion rates. How do we break through these bottlenecks? Mr. Li’s answer is clear: Drive innovation through integration, and define the future through experience.
Five Key Initiatives: Reshaping the Water Park Experience
Mr. Li proposed the "Water Park Plus" innovative integration measures, which serve not only as a response to industry pain points but also as a forward-looking layout for future trends:
· Operation-Oriented and Site-Specific:Combining indoor and outdoor elements and integrating land and water attractions to break seasonal limitations and boost year-round operational efficiency.
· Differentiated Selection to Create Blockbusters:Introducing composite slides, heavily themed equipment, and extreme challenge projects to forge a unique competitive edge.
· Strengthening Interactive and Social Attributes:Creating multi-dimensional social scenarios, ranging from parent-child family fun to team-based competitive attractions.
· Integrated Design of Immersive Scenes:Turning equipment into landscapes and integrating facilities into the storyline to create themed, immersive experiences.
· Empowered by New Craftsmanship to Elevate Quality:Utilizing translucent materials, nighttime lighting effects, and RTM (Resin Transfer Molding) manufacturing processes to endow equipment with enhanced aesthetics and technological appeal.
Benchmark Case Studies: Validating the Infinite Possibilities of "Water Park Plus"
01 | Water Park + Hotel
This model integrates hotels, indoor and outdoor water parks, unpowered amusement parks, nature play, science education, and business exhibitions into an all-age, all-time, all-season "one-stop" experience destination. It builds a closed-loop consumption cycle of "Stay-Play-Share," significantly increasing the average transaction value and overall profitability.
02 | Water Park + Scenic Spot | Inner Mongolia Xiangshawan Water Park
As China's only desert water park scenic area, this project combines a water park, sightseeing, leisure vacation, and unique accommodations (Lotus Hotel, Desert Cabins). Through the linkage of sand and water and a multi-island layout, it forms an all-season desert resort destination offering "Water Play + Sand Play + Accommodation + Sightseeing."
03 | Water Park + Tech, Cultural IP, Commerce, Hotels, and Scenic Spots | Hangzhou Tianmu Future Valley Water World
Located in Lin'an, Hangzhou, this massive eco-tourism project covers approximately 2,000 mu (approx. 330 acres). It is a multi-format complex integrating a water park, unpowered amusement park, snow play park, conference and exhibition center, hotels, a nature museum educational base, a low-altitude flying camp, and commercial streets.
The core of the project, Tianmu Future Valley Water World, is themed "Future Nature Exploration." It fuses the original IP "Butterfly Princess Mumu" with interactive light and shadow effects. The park boasts landmark attractions including the 80-meter High Tower Slides (breaking height limits), the 360° holographic Sky Eye Slide, the domestically first rotating Super Rolling Slide, the multimedia Drop-Style Drifting River, and the 131.4-meter Ferris Wheel (the highest in the Yangtze River Delta). Together, these elements create China's first all-season water amusement complex integrating technology, ecology, and extreme challenges.
Technology Creates Joy, Creativity Leads Life
As a highlight sharing enterprise at this forum, Haisan Amusement consistently adheres to its mission to "Create Extraordinary Experiences and Build Dream Parks." Whether through equipment innovation, scene recreation, IP empowerment, or the integration of leisure formats, Haisan is taking practical actions to drive the sustainable development of the water park industry.
"Water Park Plus" is not simple addition. It uses the water park as the core carrier to build diverse, composite formats such as "Water Park + Technology, Cultural IP, Commerce, Hotels, and Scenic Spots." This achieves all-season operation and value multiplication, maximizing the expansion of boundaries for cultural tourism projects.
In this wave of format integration, Haisan Amusement is eager to join hands with industry colleagues to explore more innovative possibilities for "Water Park Plus," injecting continuous vitality and imagination into China's cultural tourism industry.
