Water parks see 30% surge in footfall this summer

Pune: Residents are making a beeline for water parks in and around the city as temperatures cross 40°C and summer vacations begin."There are limited outdoor activities for children in the ongoing heat wave. We have decided to go to water parks for day-long picnics which the children will enjoy," said Devanshi Tanna, a resident of Baner.Water parks are expecting a surge of 20%-30% in footfall in May. Many establishments have lined up special packages for group bookings, with varying weekday and weekend rates. "We are getting a lot of pre-bookings for Saturdays and Sundays. We are offering special rates to groups of 10 people and above," said a ticketing manager of a water park in the city.CEO of Imagicaa World Entertainment Dhimant Bakshi said, "We have introduced a few heat-mitigating features like misting zones across the park to enhance guest comfort. Continuous addition of new attractions, immersive shows and fresh experiences across the parks have added to our growth. There has been a strong focus on event-led programming, curated offerings and formats that encourage repeat visits."Strong regional catchments, with visitors coming from nearby metros as well as emerging Tier 2 cities, is leading to increased crowds.Lonvala-based amusement and water park Wet ‘n Joy is giving special summer discounts and buy one get one offers. There are further discounts of 10% for group bookings. "We plan our weekends in advance and purchase tickets to water parks online. There are better discounts on web bookings. Children are also keen to experience new slides, attractions at these parks," said Sheetal Thakur, a resident of Magarpatta.Interestingly, Diamond water park at Lohegaon has introduced evening packages to allow guests to enjoy after the heat subsides. Marketing head of Diamond water park Abhijeet Bhairavkar said people are coming in larger numbers compared to last summer. "There is a clear pent-up demand, with weekends and post-exam period seeing strong traction. However, extreme heat conditions and orange alerts in some cities have influenced timing — with fewer visitors during peak afternoon hours. Instead, people are choosing more comfortable time slots, indicating a shift in behavior rather than a drop in interest," he said.Apart from Pune and Mumbai, visitors are increasingly coming from nearby cities like Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar and Satara.