New research says that the majority of consumers in the UK, US and China expect virtual reality to play a big part in the theme park experience over the course of the next three years.

The Theme Park Barometer survey by Omnico Group asked 2,000 visitors to select from a list of fast-developing technologies, with 62 per cent of guests in the US and UK and 70 per cent in China predicting that within three years theme parks will be using virtual reality technology for both entertainment and visitor-guidance.

In addition, the Chinese market believes much more strongly (51 per cent) that 3D printing will will be used to produce personal merchandise, compared to the US and UK (29 per cent). Robotic personal assistants are also favoured in China 49 per cent, with the US and UK less expectant (22 per cent). 41 per cent of participants also identified voice-activated mobile apps, while 38 per cent named personal digital assistants as the future for theme park technology.

“With so much innovation in the home, it is hardly surprising that visitors now expect theme parks to adopt cutting edge technology to provide enhanced experiences and levels of service,” said Mel Taylor, Omnico Group CEO. “These types of technology will not only provide new forms of entertainment, they will assist visitors with finding their way around and help with queue-reduction and crowd-management.”

2016 has been hailed as the year of VR, with recent research by Goldman Sachs suggesting that US$3.5bn (€3.1bn, £2.7bn) has been invested into AR and VR in 2014 and 2015, with AR/VR startups experiencing 347 per cent increase in funding in 2016 compared to 2015.

Deloitte predicted in March that 2016 would be the year of virtual reality with its first billion-dollar year, providing new opportunities to businesses that want to create more immersive experiences for consumers. The success of Pokémon Go earlier this year has shifted that idea though, with AR thought to become the dominant force in the alternate reality market sooner rather than later.