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WATERPARKS NEWS Seven die at Taipei waterpark party


Hundreds of people have been seriously injured and seven people have died after an explosion on a music stage at a waterpark in Taiwan caught a crowd of spectators up in a freak inferno, when a coloured theatrical powder ignited, creating a sudden fi restorm. Reports said 375 people were injured, 242 seriously, at the Formosa waterpark in New Taipei City after the starch-based powder ignited on-stage and sprayed onto a crowd of about 1,000 people, engulfi ng a large portion of the dance area in fl ames almost instantaneously. Since the incident,


the waterpark has been closed and the park and its organisers have had their assets seized. Charges of neglect and public


INDUSTRY OPINION


TripAdvisor’s tips for online reviewers can have positive eff ects Aleatha Ezra


■ Party-goers were unexpectedly engulfed in a ball of fi re


endangerment have been brought against four people including the organiser. Many of those injured suffered severe burns caused by the powder, which was intended for festive lighting at a Color Play Asia event. A ban in Taiwan has been


placed by the country’s government on the use of coloured theatrical powder at private events. New Taipei City mayor Eric Chu described the waterpark accident as the worst human disaster in the city’s history.


■ Details: http://lei.sr?a=N2J6x_A Universal to re-imagine waterpark concept


After months of speculation over its future, Universal has confi rmed that Wet n’ Wild Orlando will be turning off the taps and pulling the plug for good at the end of 2016. The waterpark is closing on 31 December 2016, at which point it will have been in operation for nearly 40 years, after fi rst opening in 1977. Founded by SeaWorld creator George Millay, Wet n’ Wild Orlando is considered to be the US’s fi rst water- park. In 1998 Millay sold his interests in the Wet n’ Wild franchise, at which point Universal snapped up the Orlando location. Universal confi rmed plans for a new multi-million dollar waterpark at the end of May. Called Volcano


14


Any waterpark manager, or manager of any kind of leisure attraction, can attest to the power of guest reviews. Today, guests can tell you exactly what they think about your food, your rides, the state of your bathrooms – via websites that enable them to reach millions of people with only a few seconds of effort. Guest reviews are now an indispensable resource for many consumers, which is probably why TripAdvisor, the world’s largest travel site, recently released an online travel review guide to help site users write better, more effective reviews. It’s also noteworthy that TripAdvisor cares enough about the quality of the review process to help make consumers better at doing it. “Reviews have become a powerful


■Wet n’ Wild fi rst opened its doors in Orlando in 1977


Bay, the theme park operator fi led plans for the development back in February. The waterpark will sit alongside Universal’s Islands of Adventure to become the resort’s third stand-alone attraction. Universal says it is closing the park to focus on its new “next generation”


attractionsmanagement.com


waterpark, which the company says will


“re-imagine what it means to be a waterpark.”


According to a statement released by Universal, the attraction will be highly themed, with a completely immersive environment inspired by tropical islands. ■ Details: http://lei.sr?a=T8r2B_A


tool, as travellers around the world use them to plan their trips,” says Barbara Messing, TripAdvisor chief marketing offi cer. “More than half will not make a booking decision without reading reviews.” According to Messing, 70 per cent of businesses surveyed have taken steps to improve their service thanks to reviews left by travellers. “We wanted to provide new and seasoned reviewers with insights from our passionate community – from what motivates them to contribute, to the top tips for writing helpful reviews,” she says. Making reviewers better is good for operators. Detailed reviews, even negative ones, can help you make improvements in your services and amenities. This will make future reviews better, convincing more travellers to visit in the future. Search online for the TripAdvisor Guide to Writing Helpful Reviews.


Aleatha Ezra, director of park member development, WWA


AM 2 2015 ©CYBERTREK 2015


PHOTO: WET ‘N’ WILD ORLANDO


PHOTO: FLICKR.COM/TPN09


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