amusement park

Amusement park, a commercially operated park offering various forms of entertainment, such as arcade games, carousels, roller coasters, and performers, as well as food, drink, and souvenirs. Amusement parks differ from circuses, carnivals, and world's fairs (see exposition) in that parks are permanently located entertainment complexes, open either all year or seasonally every year. Europe and Asia were the new growth areas for amusement and theme parks. With old parks being renewed and new parks opening up, Europe has seen a 10 percent increase in attendance, as reported in Newsweek. In Asia, according to The Economist, more free time and increased income was spurring a leisure revolution. Shopping malls have become theme parks, with more than 40 opened in China alone during the past decade. Unlike their American counterparts, these often tend toward a cultural, historical, or environmental theme. Bangkok, Singapore, and Kuala Lumpur all would like to become hubs of tourism, and theme parks have figured into that future.