Manual on elective ii - theme parks and attractions

Theme Parks and Attractions
4.1 Influencing factors I
Not all visitor attractions succeed when they are built. There are many attractions
which are planned and built each year, but not all of them are sustainable and will
survive. Many new ideas are not even realised due to reasons such as the lack of
funding, lack of or no suitable site, and unfavourable market situation due to economic
downturn or crisis.
Some attractions may start, but close in the first few years due to declining business,
lack of investment, visitor management problems, poor management or an inability to
respond to market changes. To ensure the long-term viability of a visitor attraction,
attention needs to be paid to some important factors. These factors may be grouped
into four areas:
1. The organisation and its resources
2. The product
3. The market
4. The management of the attraction
The organisation and its resources
• Experienced management – Organisations that are experienced in developing and
operating visitor attractions may learn from past experience and hence have a
higher chance of successfully managing new visitor attractions. They will be more
aware of the issues, challenges and opportunities in the development of the
attraction product.
• Strong human resources management team – Having a strong HR team is also
essential to the successful operation of a visitor attraction. They must possess the
skills and knowledge to develop and retain the staff including identifying,
recruiting, training and managing a suitable pool of qualified and skilled employees.
Maintaining staff morale is also a key responsibility for the human resources team.
The team needs to identify and use appropriate policies, guidelines and incentives
to provide employees with a safe and happy working environment.
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