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ZeeshKhan
Explorer
ZeeshKhanExplorer
Explorer
April 2, 2026

The Experience Arms Race: How IP-Powered Attractions Are Winning the Attention Economy

  • April 2, 2026
  • 1 Reply
  • 26 views

I run marketing for a theme park in one of the world's most competitive leisure markets. On any given weekend, a Malaysian family can choose from hundreds of options — a RM15 waterfall hike to a RM500 resort staycation. My job is to make LEGOLAND the answer.

So I went to the data.

Using Meltwater Explore and Analyze, I tracked three connected searches across six months (Sep 2025 – Feb 2026): global IP-led attractions, Southeast Asia leisure conversation, and the LEGOLAND brand specifically. Here's what I found:

The global industry is plateauing. Southeast Asia is surging. And LEGOLAND is outperforming both in the metric that matters most — engagement.

Three forces are driving this shift:

  • IP is the new infrastructure — branded experiences own the conversation at scale
  • Families aren't buying rides anymore — they're buying emotional return
  • The next chapter of the attractions story is being written in Asia Pacific, not Orlando

The data also revealed a clear gap between where LEGOLAND shows up in media conversation and where the industry conversation is actually growing — and three specific moves to close it.

Full report attached. Would love to hear from others in hospitality, tourism, or experience-led industries — are you seeing the same signals in your markets?

    1 reply

    Cris Rice
    mEmployee
    Cris RicemEmployee
    mEmployee
    April 3, 2026

    ​@ZeeshKhan this is a really sharp take! Especially your point about engagement growing even when mentions are flat, that really stood out to me.

     

    Of the three forces you outlined, which do you think brands are still underestimating the most right now? My outside guess would be the third—the attractions story being rewritten.

     

    Also, I’d recommend sharing this in our Hospitality Industry Circle! We have a live cross-industry mixer coming up on April 14 around “what’s something you’re curious how other teams are approaching right now?” this could be a great way to see if these signals are showing up in other experience-led industries too.

      ZeeshKhan
      Explorer
      ZeeshKhanExplorerAuthor
      Explorer
      April 3, 2026

      Thanks Cris. 
      The engagement vs. mentions gap was the number that stopped me too — it tells you people aren't just passively reading about experiences anymore, they're actively seeking them out.

      On your question — I'd actually say Force 2 is the most underestimated. Most parks and attractions are still leading with price and value messaging, when families are clearly making decisions based on emotion. The "will I regret not doing this?" calculation is quite real — and most brands aren't speaking to it yet.

      Force 3 is the one closest to my heart as a Southeast Asia operator — but Force 2 is where I think the biggest gap is industry-wide.

      Head of Marketing | LEGOLAND Malaysia Resort (Merlin Entertainments) | Using data and media intelligence to drive brand visibility, campaign performance and PR impact across SEA | Theme Parks & Attractions
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