Currently, according to a quick Google search, there are around 1,000 Cold Stone ice cream locations in the United States. That’s triple digits for the candy-infused creamery, serving up confectionary concoctions of Snickers chopped up and mixed with a few scoops of Rocky Road.
In comparison, there are presently 20-something wave pools in operation worldwide.
But according to a new forecast report, the international wave pool market could one day look like the domestic Cold Stone footprint, with 1,000 different surf parks in operation across the world.
Coming from Surf Lakes, the ones behind the gigantic plunger pool in Australia, the report looks at the rise of surfing popularity when compared to the burgeoning wave pool industry. They estimate there are 25-35 million surfers worldwide, compared to the global population of 8.062 billion.
Looking at other adventure and leisure operations, which wave pools could one day contend with, they report that worldwide there are over 6,000 ski resorts, 38,000 golf courses, and 3,000 amusement parks. With surf park openings nearly doubling in 2024, they expect that the market could see a huge uptick in coming years – thanks to the growing interest in the sport, the evolution in wave pool technologies, and the promise of property developments attached to these projects.
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That last part is key.
Per the report: “Placemaking is essential to fashion an atmosphere that draws repeat visitation, but once the landscaping and design is addressed there needs to be more substance to the customer experience to pull people back. By supporting progress and rewarding visitation surf parks can roll out membership platforms with loyalty programs that punters are proud to be a part of. Gamifying sessions, incorporating media and allowing customers to form online communities or groups presents a fantastic route to encouraging interaction and user generated content.”
1,000 wave pools worldwide someday in the near future? Stay tuned.
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