US getting swamped with water parks?
Kalahari Resorts in Sandusky, Ohio, unveiled what it called the US’s largest indoor water park — a 173,000-square-foot facility.
New features include an “intelligent” roof system, a wave pool with eight ocean-like wave settings, the world’s largest behemoth bowl, and extreme mat racers with a 55-foot decline and more.
The park is expected to draw nationwide visitors.
The indoor water park industry has seen a 283% increase over the past five years.
“We’re bringing the best of the outdoors inside where it’s always 86 degrees and tropical, “ said Todd Nelson, Kalahari Resorts’ president and owner.
He recently announced plans to build the company’s third park in Fredericksburg, VA.
As of July 2007, there were 3,643,100 aquatic square feet and 27,230 hotel rooms associated with indoor water parks in the US, according to Kalahari.
In 2002, Kalahari unveiled its first magnum indoor water park at its Wisconsin Dells, WI property. Since then, the park has remained America’s largest – at 125,000 square feet.
“The family-oriented indoor water park resort segment has established itself as a viable segment of the travel industry and has expanded well beyond its original Wisconsin base,” said David Sangree, president of Hotel & Leisure Advisors, a national hospitality consulting firm.
Report by David Wilkening
David
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