Theme park and immersive attraction designer The Goddard Group is working on a slate of projects in China, Russia, and Armenia. The North Hollywood company benefits when countries want to build resorts, theme parks and leisure destinations, said the firm’s founder Gary Goddard. “The rest of the world is waking up to tourism and what a big industry it is,” Goddard said. “It brings in billions for the economy.” The Goddard Group conceives and designs mega resorts, casinos, retail destinations, and theme parks. Among its new projects is Magic World, the first theme park to be built in Russia. The Russians will build Magic World over a 10-year to 12-year period and make it to that country what Disney World is to the U.S., Goddard said. “It is a series of lands built upon the Russian experience,” Goddard said. In Armenia, the company is doing the design and master plan for Victory Park in that country’s capital of Yerevan. The redeveloped park will maintain its original landscaping and walkways and add some rides, shows and other attractions, Goddard said. The other new projects The Goddard Group is working on are all in China: the Qingdao Theme Park and Resort, the Fushun DreamWorld Theme Park, Hotel & Resort, Shenfu New Town, and Hollywood Movie World East. —Mark R. Madler
Goddard Building for the World
