(Yicai) Nov. 13 -- Merlin Entertainments Group, the operator of Legoland Resorts, believes that there is still a lot of room for growth in the world’s second-largest market for theme parks, The Paper reported today, citing a senior executive at the British leisure giant.

Many Chinese families are willing to spend money on entertainment, and as their income continues to grow, this leads to considerable room for market growth, said Siegfried Boerst, who is the managing director of Legoland Resort China and general manager of Dorset-based Merlin’s global theme park management services.

China is an important market, and the Shanghai Legoland Resort, the firm’s flagship theme park in the country, is a crucial step in the company’s strategy to expand its footprint in the Chinese market, said John Jakobsen, chief operating officer of Legoland Resort.

The Shanghai Legoland Resort, which is currently under construction, will boast rides and attractions unavailable anywhere else in the world, Boerst said. The opening date has not yet been determined.

Investment in Shanghai Legoland and supporting projects amounts to more than CNY10 billion (USD1.4 billion), said Zhuang Jian, chairman of Shanghai Legoland Resort.

There are two other Legoland theme parks that are also being built in the country, namely one in Shenzhen in southern Guangdong province and one in the Tianfu New Area in southwestern Sichuan province.

Merlin, which is the world’s second biggest entertainment group behind The Walt Disney Company, was one of the first international groups to open themed amusement complexes in China, starting with the Madame Tussauds Wax Museum in Shanghai in 2006.

Editor: Kim Taylor