SINGAPORE -- Amusement/theme parks are booming in China as competition between domestic and international operators provides a wide range of options closer to home than before, according to a report prepared by the Themed Entertainment Association and AECOM consulting and engineering firm.

Although Japanese parks took the top three spots, Chinese destinations filled out 11 of the top 20 in the Asia-Pacific ranking. Chimelong Ocean Kingdom, the most popular Chinese attraction, drew 8.47 million visitors in 2016, a 13.2% increase over the previous year.

The Disney magic also seems to be working in China. New entrant Shanghai Disneyland made the top ten thanks to a draw of 5.6 million visitors, despite having opened just a year ago.

"The park is performing better than expected and therefore has proven, without a doubt, the depth of opportunity China's market represents," the report noted. "It demonstrates that the Chinese market will support the price point of a Disney park: Tickets have been selling, and guests have been coming in the millions," it added.

While amusement/theme parks in China are attracting more visitors, Hong Kong's parks are suffering from a sharp decline in the number of visitors from the mainland. Attendance at both Hong Kong Disneyland and Ocean Park Hong Kong has declined for the second year in a row, with double-digit decreases of 10.3% and 18.8%, respectively.

"A primary reason was the reduced level of tourism from mainland China," the report said. With more parks to visit in mainland China, it also means that Chinese tourists "don't necessarily visit a theme park" when they go to Hong Kong. Chinese tourists are also traveling more to other destinations such as Thailand, Japan and Korea.

The number of visitors to amusement/theme parks in China is expected to continue growing sharply, as its market has four times the population of the U.S. The report forecasts that attendance at parks in China will surpass that of the U.S. -- which currently dominates the top 25 amusement/theme parks globally -- by 2020.