It has been 24 years since I first formed a deep connection with this industry. When I began my professional journey in Türkiye’s entertainment sector, our country’s presence in the global attractions industry was quite limited. At the time, there was only one sector brand representing Türkiye in international markets. Today, we are talking about a strong Turkish ecosystem that makes its voice heard across different parts of the world through its manufacturing capabilities, engineering expertise, technology, references, and design.
From my very first years in the industry, I believed in its magic, in its potential for growth, and in Türkiye’s ability to build a strong position both in its domestic market and on the global stage. Since then, one question has remained at the heart of my journey: How can I contribute to growing this potential in Türkiye and helping Türkiye become a stronger global player?
For nearly 14 years, it has been a great pleasure and a source of pride for me to share, on the ATRAX stage, where the global market is heading, drawing on insights from IAAPA (International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions), TEA (Themed Entertainment Association), and leading industry research. Together, we have watched markets expand, geographical balances shift, and technology and guest expectations evolve. The numbers told us the scale of growth. But over the years, it was not only the numbers that changed. The industry’s story, its place in our lives, and the value it creates have changed as well.
As someone who has been part of ATRAX’s journey since the very beginning, when it was still an idea, it is particularly meaningful and an honor for me to contribute to the first issue of Atraksiyon Network. Seeing an idea evolve into a trade show, a trade show grow into a powerful industry gathering, and now into a platform that will carry knowledge, collective memory, and inspiration throughout the year is truly valuable.
I would like to wholeheartedly congratulate Nergis Aslan, the visionary and chief architect of this journey, who is deeply valuable to me, along with her entire team, who have worked with great belief and determination for many years. Because industries need more than investment and strong companies to grow; they also need a shared memory. This is why Atraksiyon Network’s mission to bring together the knowledge and experience of the people who have built, grown, and continuously advanced Türkiye’s entertainment industry is so valuable.
The Industry Is Growing. So Are the Direction and Meaning of That Growth.
When we look at recent data from IAAPA, TEA, and AECOM, it is clear that the industry has entered a new phase. Following the post-pandemic recovery, the focus is no longer simply on increasing visitor numbers, but on creating greater value per visitor. One of the clearest indicators is that per-capita spending at parks increased by 42.6% over the past two years, while visitor numbers increased by 18.4%. The global entertainment market is also expected to reach $76.8 billion by 2027, growing at an average annual rate of 9.8%.
The geographical landscape is changing as well. Eight of the world’s 25 largest theme parks are now located in China. Ten years ago, there was only one. According to the TEA Global Experience Index, the world’s 25 largest theme parks welcomed approximately 246 million visitors in 2024. In other words, the industry is growing, while the center of gravity of that growth is being reshaped.
Just as where we grow is changing, how we grow is changing too.
Premiumization—the evolution of products and services toward higher-end, more sophisticated experiences—is gaining momentum. The physical and digital worlds are becoming increasingly interconnected. Artificial intelligence is entering every layer of the experience, from personalization to operations. Guests no longer want simply to watch a story; they want to live inside it and, increasingly, become part of the story themselves. The boundaries between wellness, sports, retail, hospitality, and entertainment are becoming increasingly blurred.
The same direction can be seen in the trends shaping 2026. From experiential retail and compact urban indoor entertainment venues to immersive entertainment technologies, artificial intelligence, and mixed reality, the concept of attractions is expanding far beyond the traditional boundaries of theme parks. Technology, movement, visuals, sound, storytelling, and interaction are coming together to create entirely new experience worlds.
Perhaps this is where Türkiye’s next growth formula lies: using technology intelligently, transforming stories into experiences, experiences into value, and value into powerful brands.
Reading the New Map
Yet taking advantage of these opportunities depends on our ability to read change correctly. Recent years have revealed one of the strongest characteristics of our industry: our capacity to learn from change.
During the pandemic, technology was integrated more rapidly, local markets were rediscovered, and business models and visitor experiences were reconsidered. Then, changing economic conditions, tourism flows, and the global environment brought new signals. The world is no longer moving in a linear direction. Leadership today is therefore not about knowing everything; it is about recognizing uncertainty and continuing to move forward despite it.
As we try to understand the future, I believe it is just as important to look at emerging signals as it is to examine today’s data. Small shifts in guest behavior, the expectations of new generations, changes in tourism flows, and new forms of experience enabled by technology… A signal that appears small today may be pointing toward tomorrow’s major market.
And one of our most powerful tools here is collective intelligence.
Perhaps it is time to move from individual analysis toward collective interpretation. When we bring together the signals observed by guests, operators, manufacturers, investors, employees, business partners, academia, and younger generations, the direction becomes more visible. When we consider strategy, investment, and the future together, the picture becomes even clearer.
Neuroscience and Happy Cities
At the center of all this change, however, there is still one thing: people.
My work in neuroscience has given me another perspective on the subjects I have been thinking about for years—happiness and entertainment experiences. Human beings are social and meaning-seeking by nature. We need connection, movement, curiosity, discovery, and sharing. While modern urban life brings us physically closer to one another, experiences that create space for all of these needs are becoming even more valuable.
This is where our industry takes on a deeper meaning.
We create experiences within urban life where people can breathe, feel good, and reconnect with life. The relationship between social connection, movement, curiosity, positive experiences, and psychological and biological well-being is therefore extremely significant.
This is also at the heart of the “Happy Cities” concept I have been working on for years. What makes a city livable is not only its roads, buildings, and transportation infrastructure. The spaces where people can come together, share experiences, and feel good are also part of a city’s infrastructure.
Because we are not simply creating entertainment venues. We are creating experiences that reconnect people with one another, with the cities they live in, and with life itself.
Where Does Türkiye Stand on This New Map?
Türkiye has enormous potential today. From water parks and theming to immersive entertainment technologies, robotics and motion systems, multisensory experiences, play equipment, software, and design, a broad Turkish ecosystem is active in international markets.
We have brands delivering projects, developing technologies, manufacturing, designing, and winning international awards across different parts of the world. Turkish companies are no longer developing only products; they are also creating next-generation experience technologies that combine motion, media, storytelling, and multisensory effects.
Türkiye is no longer simply a strong domestic market. It has the potential to become a manufacturing and technology hub, a regional attraction center, and an export powerhouse with significant room for further growth.
In my opening speech at ATRAX 2026, I said, “Türkiye has reached a point where it is shaping the game.” Today, I believe this potential can translate into much greater opportunities.
We have engineering expertise, manufacturing capabilities, design intelligence, an entrepreneurial mindset, experience in doing business internationally, and a strong tourism culture. More importantly, we live in one of the world’s richest cultural landscapes for storytelling.
Our next leap forward may be to strengthen our brands.
It is worth thinking together about how we can further expand the global strength of our brands, invest more in branding, and shape the future of the industry through Turkish brands that leave a lasting mark on the world.
We Need to Grow Together
There is a concept I have valued for many years: “coopetition”—competition and collaboration.
The success of one Turkish company in the global market becomes a strong reference for others. We need to strengthen the ecosystem as a whole. This is where coming together under industry associations such as TEPEA and supporting one another becomes so valuable.
We all grow by drawing on one another’s knowledge, experience, and ability to recognize emerging signals.
On this occasion, I would like to sincerely thank all my industry colleagues with whom I have walked side by side throughout my 24-year journey.
The Future of This Industry Will Be Shaped by How Well We Explain It to the Next Generation
The attractions world is a unique field where many disciplines come together—from engineers and architects to software developers and designers, from artists and storytellers to sociologists and neuroscientists.
Strengthening university-industry partnerships, creating internship and real-project opportunities, and showing young people how they can find value and meaning in this industry—and how they can create value themselves—is also our responsibility.
Throughout all this transformation, I believe two things will keep us strong: understanding people and reading change.
Creativity, empathy, curiosity, intuition, and the ability to build genuine connections are more valuable than ever. Technology can enhance an experience, and artificial intelligence can optimize operations, but designing the meaning that an experience leaves with a person is still our responsibility.
At the same time, we must continue learning, adapting, and recognizing the early signals of change. Opportunities are growing for those who can read change early, and Türkiye is now standing at the threshold of precisely such a powerful period.
None of us can see the entire picture alone. But when we come together, we see what others see and hear signals we might otherwise miss. Complexity becomes clearer, and direction emerges.
That is why my excitement about the future comes not only from the growth of the market, but from our capacity to grow together.
If we can bring technology together with humanity, manufacturing with creativity, and entrepreneurship with the richness of this geography, Türkiye has an enormous opportunity to become a leading player in the global attractions and leisure industry.
And this is no longer simply an aspiration. It is a real potential that we can already see in our growing brands, the projects we are delivering around the world, and the numbers.
I know that we all watch this development with pride and share the same excitement. Now is the time to bring together, within a shared future, the heritage left to us by a powerful geography and a deep-rooted history with the richness created by our differences.
By strengthening one another, creating together, and reaching global markets together, I wholeheartedly believe that Türkiye can become one of the countries shaping the future of the growing global entertainment and experience economy.
Once again, I congratulate Atraksiyon Network on its launch and sincerely thank Nergis Aslan and the entire team for creating this valuable platform that will strengthen the knowledge, collective memory, voice, and sense of unity within our industry.
May our path be open, our story filled with inspiration, and our future shared.
