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BigQuestion
Have you ever considered adding a hotel or other guest accommodation?
John Holer, Marineland, Canada: Our campground business has proven very popular, but Marineland is located in Niagara Falls – a city that is full of hotels – and I don't want to compete with them. I concentrate my efforts on the attraction business, which is what I know and understand.
Gerardo Arteaga, Fantasilandia, Chile: We have a concession with municipality of Santiago for the land of the park and they would not allow us to build a hotel. They want to save the historical part of this area. If, in the future this restriction was lifted, we would consider building a hotel.
Marshall Hill, Funland (Hayling Island), UK: No. Our market is 90% day-trippers and there are already a lot of caravan sites down here on the south coast. When you do add a hotel, the guests expect a discount to enter the park. Do you get that money back in secondary spend? I am not so sure, secondary spend was right down last season, and not just from those you would expect. The middle classes and management types were being very careful with their spending, and they are alsothe first to complain.
Dick Knoebel, Knoebel's Amusement Resort, USA: We do have weekly rental cottages on the grounds, as well our 575-site campground. Also, our Lake Glory Campground is five miles away with shuttle service, and it has nearly 200 sites. We have considered a motel but feel we do not have enough potable water for it. I have property nearby in Elysburg suitable for a hotel/motel but have been unable to find a suitable franchise operator. As they all say, “Sure, we would be filled in the summer but would die in the winter.” Barbara (my late wife) often reminded me that I have enough to do without being a hotel/motel manager.
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Ups & Downs
Rejoice for Mickey! - Disneyland Paris celebrates its 20th anniversary on April 12
Park ’n’ Park - Guests attempting to avoid steep parking charges at Six Flags Over Texas have had their cars removed by tow truck when parking in neighbouring businesses
Traffic Trouble - Merlin Entertainments is refusing to contribute £30 million ($48m/€36m) to ease traffic congestion around Alton Towers, England. It claims a relief road would only be needed six weeks a year
Pray for Mickey! - Disneyland Paris developer Euro Disney is still in debt
Produced in association with AECOM.
www.aecom.com/economics
Figures of Fun
2.3
kilometres – combined track length on Dragon Wings duelling coaster at Happy Valley Wuhan, China (1,143 + 1,193m)
8
million euros – investment in new attractions this season at Germany’s Freizeitpark Plohn
2,500
tonnes of water at Wahooo! Waterpark in Bahrain – hovering just metres above shopping mall car park
100,000
number of bolt fastenings on Wodan, the new wooden coaster at Europa-Park in Germany
174,100,000
British pounds ($276.3m/€210m) – capital expenditure in 2011 across Merlin
Entertainments’ 88 worldwide attractions
Crazy Horses - New Jersey’s Steel Pier has decided against bringing back its controversial diving horse show following complaints from animal activists
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