WATERPARKS
Mild experiences need to be incorporated in countries where parents are wary of their children taking risks
Stephen Galbraith
CULTURE CLUB
Understanding and respecting local cultures is paramount to operators expanding into new regions. Consultant Stephen Galbraith explains how to create a successful waterpark that appeals to its both residents and tourists
Zealand Dubai and Jeddah, I’ve encoun- tered many different cultures. To provide a successful attraction, both for visitors and staff, these cultures need to be under- stood and respected. When working in Asia or the Middle East,
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operators must understand each location based on climate and weather conditions and the visitors’ safety and comfort within the environment they’re creating. They must also research what is suitable and
aving worked in the attrac- tions industry in Malaysia, Vietnam, Hong Kong, China, Singapore, Australia, New
acceptable to the locals. For example, in some countries people have very limited or no knowledge of how to hold their breath underwater. In these cases, considerable training of staff and design of pools and slides need to be planned well, with less extreme experiences installed. Most people who live in Asian countries
want to go swimming because it’s hot, but need to avoid the sun, so indoor or shaded waterparks are essential. Some cultures will require that people wear clothes in the water, so further safety precautions will be needed in these environments. In coun- tries where a one-child policy is in place,
“IN COUNTRIES WHERE A ONE-CHILD POLICY IS IN PLACE, THE PARENTS CAN BE UNWILLING TO LET THEIR CHILD TAKE RISKS. OPERATORS NEED TO SHOW THE PARENTS THE PARK IS SAFE”
AM 1 2012 ©cybertrek 2012
the parents can become very protective of their child and unwilling to let them take risks. In this instance, attractions need to incorporate more mild experiences and operators should be conscious of showing the parents that their park is safe with good trained staff to earn their trust. Another important aspect when creat-
ing a waterpark is ensuring that the theme is relevant to the area and location it’s being built in. However, once inside there can be western aspects, providing they are relevant to the residents.
DESIGN Design is very important when taking into account the cultural differences. This ranges from the park’s layout, to toilet facil- ities, to entry and exit differences. In Iran, waterparks have to allow for
separate areas for female and male guests, which is a big added cost to the project. Operators need to understand that in some areas, waterparks are a completely new concept and many visitors will be unable to swim, so intense lifeguard training will be required. Extreme rides should be avoided in these regions and more family orien- tated experiences installed instead.
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