The Investment Potential of Amusement Parks in Central & Eastern Europe
1. Interview with: Tomas Novak,
Chairman & Chief Executive Officer,
TNI Group
“Amusement parks in Europe generate
annual revenues of EUR 5 billion, with
almost 150 million visitors a year. The
business grows ten percent and more
per annum. However, in Central and
Eastern Europe there is a notable
absence of reputable amusement theme
parks,” says Tomas Novak, Chairman &
Chief Executive Officer, TNI Group.
“We picked locations the proximity of
which will attract many visitors from the
region. As we are building and
expanding a well-tested concept in the
Czech Republic, we are offering
prospective investors an attractive
opportunity to profit from this gap in the
market,” he adds.
TNI Group is a Czech-based real estate
and investment group attending the
marcus evans European Pensions &
Investments Summit 2015, taking
place in Montreux, Switzerland, 8 - 10
June.
How is TNI Group planning to enter
the entertainment industry and
why?
I have been studying this sector for
more than five years, and decided to be
a part of it. We are planning to build the
first proper family entertainment theme
park in the Czech Republic, called
Mayaland. Based on a very successful
concept in Western Europe, we will build
something amazing, something that
does not exist back home. We mapped
the market and we are now all set to
start and to expand gradually. As a
member we also use cooperation,
support and sources of the IAAPA - the
International Association of Amusement
Parks and Attractions.
Why the Czech Republic? What
potential does it offer to investors?
This kind of entertainment is very
popular in Europe, and it keeps growing
every year. At the same time, and
surprisingly so, it is completely missing
in the Czech Republic. We are
considering to set up a privately-held
inveastment vehicle to finance leisure
and entertainment activities.
Our goal is to bring well-established,
reputable and profitable projects to the
Czech Republic and the region. We
know what potential this region offers.
At the crossroads of Eastern and
Western Europe, the Czech Republic can
attract visitors from Slovakia, Poland,
Hungary, Germany and Austria. People
make an effort and travel abroad to visit
amusement parks regularly. We want to
bring these enjoyable attractions closer
to their homes. And we want to do it
profitably.
We have established a special purpose
vehicle for this project and invested EUR
5.5 million in the project preparation
phase. Negotiations have been under
way for several prospective sites in the
Czech Republic and we have already
contracted some of them. The local
authorities have declared their support
as well.
We expect the project to open in 2016,
with 300,000 visitors annually. As an
indoor concept, we will be able to
operate throughout the year, tailoring
the experience to all major holidays and
seasons, of course.
We would like to partner with an
investor who would share our passion to
build something new in Central Europe.
We are confident that our business plan
is very solid. Our calculations, based on
international benchmarking, show that
the payback period for investors is
expected to be five years.
What is the concept behind the
park? Why do you think it will be
successful?
We decided to implement an existing
successful and profitable concept by
franchising Plopsa’s model. A subsidiary
of the Belgian entertainment company
Studio 100, Plopsa owns the license of
Maya the Bee stories (broadcasted in
160 countries around the world) and is
a well-known brand globally. Plopsa
owns and operates five theme parks in
Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany,
with 2.6 million visitors per year.
Plopsa gives us the guarantee by their
share participation of 15 percent, to
provide management and operation
support. We expect the model to
succeed in the Czech Republic the same
way it did in other countries.
The European theme
and amusement
parks industry
generates revenues
of EUR 4.9 bn p.a.
Its total economic
impact represents
EUR 10 bn and
contribution to
public finances
exceeds
EUR 1.2 bn p.a.
The Investment Potential of Amusement
Parks in Central & Eastern Europe
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About TNI Group
TNI Group is a Czech-based real estate and investment group with more than 20 years track record on the Czech market. Business
activities are mainly focused on retail segment, primarily services in the leisure and entertainment area, and also residential
projects. With total asset exceeding EUR 13 million, the Group operates in the Czech Republic and United States.
www.tnigroup.cz
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To view the web version of this interview, please click here: www.epi-summit.com/TomasNovak