China to become world's largest theme park market by 2020

Tourists view dinosaur fossils at the World Dinosaur Valley in Lufeng County, southwest China's Yunnan Province, Dec. 23, 2017. The Lufeng World Dinosaur Valley, a dinosaur theme park, exhibited over 100 fossils of a variety of dinosaurs. China is slated to become world's largest theme park market by 2020, when the number of tourists is expected to exceed 230 million, according to a fresh report by U.S. engineering firm AECOM. The number of tourists to Chinese theme parks have seen an average annual growth of 13 percent in the past decade, and reached 190 million in 2017. The number is expected to keep the double digit growth in the following years, according to the report. The report attributes the rapid growth to Chinese consumers' rising income that sparks greater demands on leisure activities, as well as more convenient public transportation systems. (Xinhua/Lin Yiguang)