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Despite rising costs, public sector cuts and static salaries, 80% of Britons are refusing to give up their summer break according to a survey conducted by the budget hotel chain Travelodge. The good news for attractions operators is that many intend to stay in the UK. The average British will take three short breaks in the country this year and £172.23 ($285/€198) will be spent on visiting attractions (an increase of £67.23 from 2010). Furthermore over a third of Britons (35%) will holiday in the UK only this summer, another increase over 2010. Britain’s top three summer destinations will be Cornwall, the Lake District and Devon.
The long-awaited Ghost Train on the Grand Pier in Weston-super-Mare, England, finally made its debut last month (May 7). The ride was one of over 10 new attractions due to open when the pier relaunched last October after an extensive rebuild but according owner Kerry Michael, “the company that was originally installing it went into administration and never finished it. Our in-house engineers took on the task to complete it.”
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Since its introduction in 2001/2, the Fantasy Kingdom area at Gardaland remains the most appreciated and frequented part of the park by families, with the perfect mix of fantasy theming and landscaping. As well as the rides, there are interactive water fountains, fog trees for hot summer days, a toy shop and cast-members that are particularly devoted to kids.
1) These two rides (Saltomatto tower and Volaplano monorail) are by SBF/Visa. Other kiddie rides at Fantasy Kingdom are by Zamperla and then, hidden away inside the tree, we have a Vekoma Mad House, or Magic House as we call it.
2) Every parks needs an icon. The giant coloured tree in the middle of Fantasy Kingdom is the home of our mascot Prezzemolo the dragon. The tree has become the most recognised symbol of the park and is used on 90% of our printed advertising material just because it represents the home of… fun! If your park doesn’t have an icon, just do it (with the proper size and shape of course)!
3) There are some great views from the top of the tree: the monorail, the mini wheel, the mini drop tower and other areas of the park including our new Raptor coaster! Let your guests to have enough time to breathe, discover the area and admire the theming, while they enjoy others having fun.
Bruno Lancetti, Gardaland Resort, Italy
Featuring over a dozen species of sharks and around 30 hands-on interactive displays, Sharks is a fascinating new addition to Ripley's Aquarium Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. The exhibit takes visitors beyond the superstitions surrounding sharks and shark attacks, exploring their daily struggle to survive. The new addition to the aquarium will be on display throughout 2011.
Three more North American venues have added Lazer Frenzy to their facilities. Players must weave, bend, and jump their way through laser beams to reach the checkpoint, at which time they turn around and repeat the maze. The new installations are at Putt-Putt Fun Center in Lynchburg, Virginia; Active Kidz in Long Island, New York; and Kids Fun City in Toronto, Ontario. Along with the Lazer Frenzy, Active Kidz also installed a single- level laser tag arena.
The Play Providers Association (PPA) will host its annual Play Providers Conference and Aspire Awards as part of this September’s Euro Attractions Show (EAS) in London. With EAS coming to the UK for only the second time since it was launched in 2001, the PPA felt it was a great opportunity to partner with a vibrant established event. EAS 2011 takes place at Olympia from September 27 to 29.
Lo-Q PLC has won a Queen’s Award for Enterprise in the category of International Trade. Founded in the UK, Lo-Q provides virtual queuing systems for theme parks and has seen its overseas sales more than double in the last three years representing an increase of 120% and a total export revenue of £35 million during this period.
JUNE 2011
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