China's theme park industry is poised to become the biggest in the world by the end of the decade, South China Morning Post reported citing analysts.

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China has seen an increasing demand for amusement parks, thanks to the tough competition among local and foreign players and the growing demand from middle and upper-middle classes, which is expected to account for about half of the country's GDP consumption by 2030, according to estimates from ANZ Bank as cited by South China Morning Post.

"The Chinese theme park market is growing rapidly," Tim Mackey, a lawyer from the Paul Hastings Law Firm, said. "China represents a massive and growing market of consumers who have more money to spend on entertainment and media products than before."

After Shanghai Disneyland opened its $5.5 billion resort to the public, as many as nearly 65 major theme parks are currently being built or planned in China already. Potential players include foreign companies such as the Universal Studios and Six Flags and domestic rivals like Chimelong, Fantawild, and Songcheng Performance Development, the Forbes reported.

However, as US companies attempt to penetrate the Chinese market, they are also facing a fierce rivalry with Chinese firms, typified by the competitive behavior between Wanda Group and Disney, the South China Morning Post noted. Chinese billionaire Wang Jianling was quoted saying that his "pack of wolves" will defeat Disney's "tiger" park in Shanghai.

Meanwhile, the growth of demand for amusement parks is also followed with the increasing popularity of Western brands and culture in the country, Mackey noted.

"Domestic brands have to bring in more know-how and better understand their own attractions and their own branding," Markus Schuckert, Hong Kong Polytechnic University's assistant professor of tourism management, told the Post as quoted by South China Morning Post, adding that not a single theme park could put all attractions in one box.

"There are specialized parks, attractions, and brands, some will have a bright future ... and there will be others who will be shaken off by competition."

TagsTheme Parks, amusement parks, Shanghai Disneyland, Dalian Wanda, entertainment sector