WORLD
Vancouver attractions embrace Olympic rush
THE 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games officially opened in Vancouver, Canada, on February 12, and in addition to the dozens of free and ticketed cultural events, activities and celebrations that took place in the region, theme parks located in and around the city have been quick to identify the long-term benefits of this major sporting event. Speaking exclusively to InterPark, Stephen Pearce, vice-president of leisure travel for
Tourism Vancouver, said that although the tourist board has no hard data at the current time to gauge the impact of the Olympics on Vancouver’s local economy and tourist attractions, a number of surveys are currently being carried out. “What I can say is that we expect incremental visitation from all markets to be in the
order of 200,000 to 250,000 and this is occurring at a time of year that is traditionally the weakest season for Vancouver,” he said. “We expect that one of the legacies of the Olympics will be a heightened awareness for what Vancouver - and Canada - represents as a potential travel destination.” Preliminary data from Visa, the payment solutions multi-national, indicates that
international visitors to the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games have had an immediate impact on the local economy. “Nearly US$5.2m was spent on Visa cards on the opening day of the Games,” the group said. “The money spent by visitors on their Visa credit, debit and pre-paid cards on February 12, 2010, showed an increase of 46 per cent over the same day last year.” Importantly, while many major outdoor amusement parks in British Columbia
remain closed during the winter period, operators throughout the region recognise the long-term benefits brought about by the Winter Olympics. “Our season runs from April to October,” said Laura Ballance, spokesperson for Playland Amusement Park in Vancouver. “However, we anticipate that the increased exposure from being an Olympic host venue location will promote our park in general, while the increased attention on Vancouver during the Games will be of benefit to all tourist attractions into the future.”
Playland Amusement Park
South American expansion for FEC giant
CHILEAN development firm Inversiones Las Docas has agreed to develop eight Chuck E. Cheese’s restaurants in the country over the next seven years. Acting as a franchisee of CEC
Entertainment, the parent company of the family entertainment centre brand, Inversiones has been operating one Chuck E. Cheese’s venue in Santiago since 1994. Commenting
on
the agreement, Pilar Zabala, president of Inversiones Las Docas, said: “We know that
there is a tremendous opportunity to expand the brand not only in Santiago but throughout the country. Families appreciate and love the CEC concept, as demonstrated by their support during the last 15 years.
“With our knowledge of
the local market and the support and experience of CEC Entertainment we are confident we can reach the top of the family entertainment industry in Chile as we open eight new stores over the next seven years.”
NEWS
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