Waterparks Melbourne mulls surf park plans
Waterparks could capitalise on 2015’s ‘braggie’ craze ALEATHA EZRA
there are a few key travel trends for 2015 that leisure facilities might be able to capitalise on. You can bet that hoteliers and other
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travel destinations will be keeping these in mind as they fine tune their services and marketing plans, so make sure your water leisure facility is on board as well. First, and most important, is your mobile presence. More and more people are booking tickets and making travel plans online, so make sure your website can keep up with mobile bookings, answer questions and provide responsive customer service to potential guests. Just as important as design is your site’s ability to translate well across all devices – be they tablets, mobiles or computers. Second, potential guests are looking
for more personalised vacation experiences. Take the time to find out what sets your attraction apart from those surrounding it and make sure you market these unique and potentially thrilling qualities. For example, if you have the area’s tallest waterslide with a launch box exit, make sure this information features prominently in your marketing campaign. Third, get ready for guests who
want to “showcase their destination” using phones and GoPros. According to a recent World Travel Market Global Trends Report, “while 2014 was the year of the selfie on social media, 2015 is expected to be the year of the ‘braggie’.” Guests want to share cool shots of where they are and what they are doing. Whether it’s taking a photo from the top of your slide tower or wearing a GoPro cam down the speed slide, plan for this type of guest interaction within your attractions. And, be ready to capitalise on it across your social media platforms.
Aleatha Ezra, director of park member development, WWA
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ccording to the folks at the website Marketwatch,
Architecture firm Damian Rogers, in partnership with Arup, has unveiled a concept for a beach and surf park for Melbourne’s Central Pier in Australia. The development would include a floating wave pool, filled with filtered water from Victoria Harbour, as well as a new sandy beach front. The heated wave pool
would be one of several attractions featured in the new development. It would offer surfers a chance to catch waves reaching heights of between 1 to 1.8 metres (3 to 6 feet). Planned to cover
16,000sqm (172,222sq ft), swimming, kayaking and winter beach soccer will also be offered onsite. A grassy bank and a pavilion provide space for retail and restaurant facilities.
The water filling the pool will be filtered from the surrounding harbour
Arup urban and transport planner Phil Carter said: “This could enhance the Docklands by giving the public a space they will want to use and attracting events and businesses.” The wave size can be
adjusted from a beginners’ swell to a 6-foot wave for experienced surfers who
could ride the 30-metre (98-foot) breaker for 160 metres (525 feet). The development, if
approved by Melbourne City Council and Places Victoria, would cost around $6.45m (£4.2m, €5.4m) and will be privately funded by developers.
Details:
http://lei.sr?a=V2Y9x_A Eco-friendly Vana Nava opens in Thailand
The eco-friendly Vana Nava Hua Hin waterpark has opened in Thailand, following a $31m (£20m, €27m) investment. Supplied by WhiteWater
West, the waterpark opened on 1 December 2014 and offers 19 stations and rides, with more than 800m (2,600ft) of water slides. The park’s high- lights include the Abyss, Thailand’s largest slide, Vana Nava Fall – Asia’s tallest manmade mountain waterfall – and the com- pany’s first AquaCourse outside of North America. WhiteWater Attractions are supplying dry attractions such as rope courses. The recently opened
waterpark development is the first phase of a larger 57,000sqm (613,000sq ft) mixed-use development that also consists of a
Vana Nava was developed by Thailand’s Proud Real Estate
300-bedroom family hotel and premium residences. With more than 200,000
trees in and around the park, Vana Nava Hua Hin aims to set itself apart with its rainforest-inspired theme, positioning itself as an “ecologically aware”
Read Attractions Management online
attractionsmanagement.com/digital
leisure destination. The development aims to be environmentally responsible and energy efficient, using water recycling and a careful selection of flora. l See Thailand Makes a Splash, this issue, page 48 Details:
http://lei.sr?a=T4Z4B
AM 1 2015 ©Cybertrek 2015
PHOTO: © DAMIAN ROGERS, ARUP, SQUINT/OPERA
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