TiLEzone enters fifth year
UK attractions operators and suppliers have been invited to take part in the fifth annual TiLEzone seminar, which takes place in London on February 25. The event, held in conjunction with the UK Trade and
Investment Experience Economy Team, will act as a platform for the discussion of the latest ideas and trends in the amusements and leisure sector. Hosted at the London Transport Museum in Covent
Garden, TiLEzone will be held the day after a UKTI hosted International Business Networking Reception. Topics to be addressed will include feasibility planning, audience development, scientific methods and data analysis to help attraction operators provide the best experience possible for their visitors. “For anyone connected with the development or
operation of leisure attractions, the next TiLEzone really is a must attend event,” said Richard Curtis of event organiser Andrich International. “This fifth TiLEzone London will show how good
planning, design and the right products can enhance leisure attractions and make them more successful in terms of visitor numbers, repeat visits and profitability.”
Zamperla takes Motocoaster to Finland
ITALIAN ride manufacturer Zamperla is set to bring its Motocoaster concept to Europe for the first time, after securing a deal to install the motorbike racing themed roller coaster at Sarkanniemi adventure park in Finland. Zamperla currently has Motocoaster rides installed in
the US, China and Guatemala. Seated two abreast on their own “motorbikes,” visitors are launched from 0-40mph in less than two seconds. With the ride in full gear, the trains navigate an ascending
banked turn to a height of more than 40ft before racing to the finish line through a series of 60-degree banked turns and figure-eight manoeuvres. Now, in the wake of Amusement Expo Europe, which
took place in Genoa towards the end of last year, Zamperla marketing manager Marco Mazzucchi said the Motocoaster sale to Sarkanneimi was due to the company’s consistent focus on quality and the strong relationship that has been forged between the two groups. “We are very proud of this sale,” Mazzucchi said.
“It is a clear example of the efforts of our roller coaster department, as well as the quality of our products.”
Euro Disney swings to FY loss
EURO Disney SCA, the operator of Disneyland Resort Paris, has posted a loss in fiscal 2009. The group, nearly 40 per cent of which is owned by The Walt Disney Company, said revenues in the year to September 30 totalled €1.2bn, down from the €1.3bn reported in 2008. Despite experiencing a growth in visitor numbers to its
Marne-la-Vallee theme park, revenues in Euro Disney’s core resorts segment dropped six per cent, and the company finally booked a net loss of €63m, compared to a profit of €1.7m last year. “During the fiscal year, we were faced with the
most challenging economic environment in our history, which drove certain fundamental changes in consumer behaviour,” commented chief executive Philippe Gas.
Lo-Q announces product enhancements
LO-Q, the virtual queuing systems group, has completed major enhancements to its flagship handheld reservation system, Q-bot. Q-bots are robust units rented by theme park guests
to enable them to reserve a place in line for their chosen rides from anywhere in a park. The new developments will result in improved accuracy in wait times and a simpler show reservation kiosk. Theme park owners will see a reduction in the amount of information required by the Q-bot system. Lo-Q founding director Leonard Sim said: “We
believe in putting visitors in control of their day and getting them out of line. Park owners benefit from the creation of a potential large new revenue stream so they see new profits appear while increasing customer satisfaction and loyalty - everyone wins.” Q-bot is currently in use in 14 theme parks run by seven operators in five countries.
VisitBritain to launch new tourism campaign
UK tourist board VisitBritain has launched a three-year global campaign that seeks to deal with key themes that encompass traditional Britishness, youth culture and high revenue tourism markets. The group’s campaign has been planned to coincide
with the return of the UK’s economic growth, which is expected to occur around the second quarter of next year. During the first 10 months of 2009, 300,000 more
inbound holiday visitors chose the UK as a holiday destination. In the three months to October, leisure and business inbound visitors spent £5bn while in the UK, up three per cent on the same period in 2008. Sandie Dawe, VisitBritain chief executive, said:
“Over recent years tourism has been the fastest growing industry in the world. In the UK, it is the fifth largest industry and third largest export earner. “Our forecasts suggest that while 2010 will not see
record numbers of inbound visitors or visitor spend, the prolonged weakness in the value of sterling will result in a stronger performance, particularly in visitor spend.”
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