IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/bla/tvecsg/v117y2026i3p391-409.html

Theme Park Regionalization: A Comparison of Two Critical Cases

Author

Listed:
  • Patrick Witte
  • Martijn van den Hurk

Abstract

The growth ambitions of theme parks and zoos in recent years have sparked academic and policy attention regarding whether such amusement facilities should be viewed not just as isolated leisure objects, but also as contributors to regional economic development. Research on theme parks is receiving less attention from a geographical and planning perspective. This article, therefore, analyses how stakeholders approach externalities of theme park expansion, considering spatial and sociocultural effects besides economic growth. Through a case study of the Efteling (amusement park) and Wildlands Adventure Zoo (zoo) in the Netherlands, we describe and explain the diverse impacts of theme park expansions, illustrating how theme park regionalization leads to various manifestations of socio‐spatial externalities. The empirical analysis of the emerging regional governance regimes leads us to suggest ‘theme ports’ as an additional analytical type of theme park development.

Suggested Citation

  • Patrick Witte & Martijn van den Hurk, 2026. "Theme Park Regionalization: A Comparison of Two Critical Cases," Tijdschrift voor Economische en Sociale Geografie, Royal Dutch Geographical Society KNAG, vol. 117(3), pages 391-409, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:tvecsg:v:117:y:2026:i:3:p:391-409
    DOI: 10.1111/tesg.70081
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://doi.org/10.1111/tesg.70081
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1111/tesg.70081?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:bla:tvecsg:v:117:y:2026:i:3:p:391-409. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    We have no bibliographic references for this item. You can help adding them by using this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Wiley Content Delivery (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.blackwellpublishing.com/journal.asp?ref=0040-747X .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.