AusLeisure

After 20 years of designing, building and managing theme parks for clients around the world, Penang, Malaysia-based Sim Leisure Group is set to begin exporting its 'Escape' adventure park brand.

Besides running the first Escape in Teluk Bahang, Penang, Sim Leisure is focusing on exporting the concept to the Middle East, Europe and emerging markets, amid growing demand for environmentally centred theme parks.

Sim Leisure founder and Chief Executive Sim Choo Kheng is shifting the company's core business towards creating and exporting a Malaysian-created theme park brand.

The company is in talks with Arab investors for the first Escape outside Malaysia, likely to be located on the Red Sea coast of Saudi Arabia. In addition, negotiations are being had with overseas investors to franchise the Escape concept.

Sim explains that the "demand for healthy outdoor family leisure facility is growing.

"After two decades of creating fun for our clients, we want to redefine the concept of the theme park, and create something more socially responsible and sustainable."

Sim says that he wants to construct a new genre of park that reflects both the fun that people can have in nature as well as some of the key themes of our age such as the need to protect the environment.

He adds "life is real at Escape, it's fun but it's not a piece of sugar-coated fantasy. What we have created is a product on par with some of the big names in the industry, and our company will grow along with the Escape brand."

Sim says that while the Middle East has been a key growth area over the last 10 years, Sim Leisure also sees Europe as a region that would appreciate the philosophy and values of Escape.

Sim Leisure has been providing turnkey services for the waterpark and theme park industry, and major projects have been successfully designed, themed, executed and managed in international markets.

Sim Leisure clients included the Lost Paradise of Dilmun in Bahrain, Snow Penguins at Ski Dubai, Yas Waterworld Aqua Park in Abu Dhabi (set to be one of the world's leading waterparks), Universal Studios in Singapore, Legoland Denmark, Legoland in Malaysia, Yerevan Waterworld in Armenia, and Aquapolis in Bulgaria.

The first Escape theme park opened in Penang in November.

The first phase of Escape is AdventurePlay, targeting over 350,000 visitors annually, with the aim of enteraining children though activities while educating them about the benefits of recycling and promoting the usage of low carbon footprint materials.

The entire 17.6 hectare project is scheduled to be completed by 2017.

For more information go to www.escape.my/

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