For decades, the global attractions industry has been primarily viewed from a Western perspective, with movie-based theme parks dominating the market, their global influence strengthened by Hollywood’s cultural dominance. However, Sim Choo Kheng, founder and chairman of the listed Sim Leisure Group, believes that this era is on the verge of coming to an end.

“One major misconception about the attractions industry is the notion that it is predominantly Western,” says Sim. “While this may have been true in the past, the reality has shifted significantly. I can confidently say that at least two-thirds of the industry is now based in Asia alone, especially regarding its supply chain.”

This biased gap in perception has led to some bizarre experiences. He recalls: “I had a few unpleasant experiences in the Middle East and Europe with the senior management of our clients asking why the ‘boss of Sim Leisure’ wasn’t present, in my presence at the project meetings. 

“My situation was akin to that of some white guys in kung-fu business in the 1970s, but look at how the sport of mixed martial arts (MMA) progressed in a field that was once dominated by Asians.” To Sim, this is not just a personal frustration but a broader misunderstanding of how the industry has evolved.      

According to market intelligence firm Mordor Intelligence, the Asia Pacific amusement park market size stands at US$72.8 billion ($93.9 billion) in 2025 and is projected to climb to US$93.9 billion by 2030, translating into a 6.34% compound annual growth rate (CAGR) over the period.     

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Sim Leisure has never aimed to replicate the flashy Western model. Instead, its ethos, Sim says, is centred on creating what matters most to the business. 

He says: “The key to our business success is that we focus on fun — we design and build parks that bring joy to our customers. They pay us to give them a happy day, and that’s exactly what we deliver. It may sound really simple, but for some strange reason, many in the industry often forget the purpose of their business.”

The chairman explains that his goal for the group is for its attractions to score high in “smiles per hour” for guests, Sim Leisure’s trademark metric for measuring fun.

Unlike competitors who spend heavily on branded roller coasters or elaborate castles, Sim Leisure prides itself on operational discipline and in-house capabilities. “We avoid unnecessary spending on grand monuments or fancy intellectual property (IP) tied to overpriced, over-engineered third-party rides that are prevalent,” Sim explains. “We have the capability and prefer to design and build our rides and parks ourselves. That allows our parks to look and feel unique, giving us a competitive edge. In every aspect of our design, we focus on that key metric — smiles per hour. Just as Formula 1 drivers strive to shave off milliseconds every lap, I push for that extra grin or smirk on a customer’s face.”     

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This grounded approach also extends to management style. “We talk less, we email less, we avoid office fluff, eliminate unnecessary bureaucracy and focus on creativity in everything from problem-solving to construction,” says Sim. The business world, according to him, is often filled with “fake people” who engage in activities and bureaucracy that delay progress and add unnecessary costs. He continues: “As the entrepreneur and head of the company, I am a no-nonsense guy, I lead by example. You might call me a hardliner, but didn’t Steve Jobs and Elon Musk follow a similar path?”

A generational shift

Today, Sim believes the industry is already undergoing a generational shift. “The tipping point is happening now,” he says. Traditional theme parks, heavily cross-subsidised by real estate developers or tourism boards, are running into structural problems.

“The recent oversupply of real estate in some countries has caused serious financial challenges for developers, making it difficult for them to financially support their theme parks, resulting in closures,” he explains. “The changing trends — such as the rise of Airbnb over traditional hotels, younger generations who generally don’t visit casinos, and shifting habits in the movie and cinema industries — all pose challenges for the theme park sector.”

What does the future hold? Sim says that for the industry to thrive, there is a need for new blood to replace the old guards from the associations that have controlled the industry for over half a century. “What kind of perspective can you expect from people who still view the world as it was in the 70s? The Gen Zs and Millennials don’t want cartoon cut outs. They want experiential moments they can share with thousands of their friends online.

“This change will be a long process, and I have no complaints about it. The fewer people who know about their problems, the better for us,” Sim says with a dose of sarcasm. 

It is along this belief of catering to the future that has underpinned Sim Leisure’s creation of ESCAPE, which the chairman describes as a “game-changing” Adventure Park. Located in Penang, ESCAPE shuns the typical Hollywood gloss associated with theme parks, opting instead for its own version of fun activities set in a natural environment — a nod towards embracing the natural world.

“My childhood as an active and mischievous boy was filled with what kids are supposed to do — play,” Sim recalls. “When I moved to a village outside Saigon [Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam] in 1998 to build and manage a waterpark, I saw my childhood play again, and I began to question: why can’t we build attractions this way? That was my light-bulb moment! I sought to capture the most original forms of play to satisfy the child in all of us.”

Promoting his vision for ESCAPE proved to be a challenging endeavour. “No one believed in my ideas. For 14 years, it didn’t work. Every investor wanted sugar-coated mega-budget, flashy movie-based theme parks, or some knock-off versions of that genre; no one believed the unproven business idea of some ‘village kids play’ in nature. But I never gave up.”

Today, ESCAPE has grown into one of Sim Leisure’s core brands and the cornerstone of its global ambitions. Sim shares: “After 13 years of trial and error, we are now poised for global dominance. Who would have imagined that a playful childhood experience could evolve into a serious business that would disrupt the attractions industry?”

The brand operates through two sub-segments: ESCAPE Adventure Parks and ESCAPE Challenge. The former features a variety of rides in a large natural setting, while the latter brings outdoor adventure indoors, typically within shopping malls, catering to the urban population. Altogether, Sim Leisure operates the ESCAPE brand at five different locations.

In addition to ESCAPE, Sim Leisure operates KidZania in Singapore and Kuala Lumpur, and is still expanding its design-and-build business in Dubai and Riyadh.

Looking ahead

Sim sees two parallel trends reshaping the attractions industry: virtual reality (VR) and natural outdoor experiences. “The Covid-19 pandemic, which forced many to stay at home for extended periods, significantly altered our habits and lifestyles,” he explains. He notes that the move towards VR is driven by increased acceptance of technological advancements during the pandemic, while the rise in interest in outdoor activities stems from people’s desire to reconnect with and explore the natural world.

While ESCAPE is the flagship brand, Sim Leisure’s pipeline of new brands underscores the breadth of its ambition. Among these is SIMall, which aims to transform malls into dedicated “shopping for fun” malls encompassing all the brands and games its associates have been developing over the years. These are blueprinted to be a fun-centric social hub for the new generation, including young adults, youth, children as well as parents, offering opportunity for their “me time” in a climate-controlled environment.

By geography, China and Asean are the group’s immediate focus. “There is significant potential for growth, and competition is relatively weak, presenting a great opportunity for a headstart,” Sim says.

Sim Leisure’s credibility has been bolstered by its track record as a contractor on over 300 projects worldwide, including some of the world’s most high-profile projects, such as Universal Studios, Six Flags, Ski Dubai and attractions from the John Wick franchise.

 “We are the designer and theming contractor for many world-famous attractions,” he says. “This experience helps us understand the standards, budget, and challenges of these projects once they ae built.”

However, the group’s “ultimate goal” lies beyond just designing and contracting. Sim says: “It was our original business, providing us with the financial resources to invest in the future of our business. Now, we want to be at the top of the food chain to promote our business models to the attraction industry. Our experiences will be leveraged to realise ESCAPE and SIMall globally.”

Despite these ambitions, he acknowledges that not every investor will understand the group’s vision. “This is something we’ve come to accept,” he says. “Most investors tend to follow the crowd, and they are not the right fit for us. Sim Leisure is not a follower: we are innovators with a proven track record spanning over 30 years. We seek investors who recognise our unique business and the rare opportunities available to us.”

This year, Sim Leisure stood out among companies in The Edge Singapore’s Centurion Club 2025, which ranks listed companies with market capitalisations between $100 million and $999 million. The group scored the highest returns to shareholders over three years within the cyclical consumer sector.

Crucially, Sim emphasises the importance of retaining control. “We are open to all options, provided that we maintain control over our innovations and our direction. We cannot adopt a typical corporate approach, as it would stifle creativity and productivity.”

For Sim, financial performance is not just a measure of success but the ultimate proof of concept. “In the attractions industry, creating a headline-grabbing theme park to us is really ‘a piece of cake’. However, developing a profitable attraction is exponentially harder,” he explains. “For us, profitability is of utmost importance. Our mission is to make Sim Leisure the most successful leisure company in the world, and our financial performance is a key indicator of that success.”