Guest Article
www.parkworld-online.com
special. It’s safe to say, however, that the COVID-19 pandemic changed this perception. According to our research, crowds are consumers’ number one concern when it comes to visiting theme parks this year, with around half of theme park goers likely to favour attractions with clear social distancing guidelines (56%) and capped visitor numbers (48%). Operators need to make occupancy management a priority to win back consumer trust. A simple way to do this is staggering entries with timed tickets (a measure welcomed by 40% of visitors) or only allowing pre-booked ticket sales. By managing ticket sales across all distributors and resellers in one system, operators gain an accurate view of how many visitors will be onsite at any time, helping cap numbers at busy periods and keep people safe. One thing that’s never been appealing about theme
parks is the long waits. Aside from being tedious, in today’s climate, queues (unless strictly socially distanced) are simply unsafe. Even more reason for operators to minimise them: 28% of our respondents would feel more comfortable visiting theme parks if given reassurance of reduced queues, and 29% would even pay more for the guarantee.
But how can businesses remove this often- unavoidable characteristic? Allowing customers to order food and drinks ahead of time via their mobiles is a great way to cut down waiting times and avoid queues, and something half (49%) of theme park visitors now consider ‘must- have’. Venues could also implement virtual queues, freeing up visitors to experience the attractions and, crucially, spend money across different areas, while virtually waiting for a ride or meal. Not only would such measures drive safety, but boost revenue opportunities, too.
A safer, tech-savvier future for theme parks Uncertainty risks keeping consumers away from theme parks this year, casting a dark cloud over the opportunity for recovery. But, for the venues that adapt to new visitor demands and enhance safety with technology, 2021 could be a transformational and successful year. What you do before the gates open will ultimately determine how long they stay that way once a safer, tech-savvier future for theme parks is established.
For the
venues that adapt to new visitor demands and enhance safety with technology, 2021 could be a transformational and successful year.
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WINTER PART 2 2021
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