Theme parks and museums in Asia and the Pacific region boost tourism demand in urban areas

Abstract The main challenge of this paper was to analyse Asian and Pacific theme parks and museums as tourist attractions aimed at increasing tourism demand in the postpandemic period from 2012 to 2022. To address the primary research questions and objectives, this study’s methodology blends qualitative and quantitative data. The findings reveal that Asian and Pacific theme parks and museums received 1187 billion visitors, a substantial number of whom revitalized and improved the local and regional economies of urban destinations. Cities such as Tokyo, Osaka, Shanghai, Seoul, Taipei, Beijing, and Hong Kong provide good air and ground accessibility, connecting them through intermodal transport systems. As a result, these urban cities are the most visited in the Asia–Pacific region and have a high tourism demand. The main novelty and contribution to the literature review of this manuscript is that it helps improve understanding of theme parks and museums in urban cities and their relationships with airports, public transport, and the population, as well as this study highlights the relevance of airport and airline operators in strategic and marketing plans of Asia and Pacific cities’ tourist destinations. Indeed, our findings will be valuable resources for future scholars and practitioners that will address future studies with a broader perspective of air transport in leisure activities.