We must unite and support industry leaders to lobby for the emergency funding our sectors need to shield us from the worst impacts of the coronavirus pandemic
By Liz Terry | Published in Attractions Management 2020 issue 1
ALVA director, Bernard Donoghue, is fighting for support
As we slither down the pyramid of Maslow’s famous hierarchy of needs, from the peaks of self-actualisation and the joys of creativity, spontaneity and self-fulfillment, to a focus on survival – food, shelter, water – questions hover in the air around the shape the industry will be in once we come crawling out of the other side of the pandemic.
Attractions represent one of the pinnacles of human existence, celebrating as they do our history, knowledge and culture and offering time to reflect or celebrate, to learn or to enjoy carefree time with loved ones.
But we are on the front line in the pandemic, stripped of revenue streams by the shutdowns and with no other substantial sources of income to replace this vital funding.
With such heavy infrastructure costs, many attractions may not survive. If they close, we will not only lose beloved places, but also precious people with rare and valuable skills, as teams scatter.
A world with fewer attractions and culture would be a lesser place and so we must fight and work together to keep our industry afloat in whatever ways we can.
This means powerful leadership to lobby governments to give the financial support the industry needs and calls for them to make charitable giving more tax-efficient to attract funds from high net worth individuals.
In the UK, Bernard Donoghue, director of the Association of Leading Visitor Attractions, has been leading the charge in partnership with industry body, The Museums Association. They have identified a partial solution and are working to prise £120m from the government to rescue the sector from the worst of the damage.
This had been ringfenced for a Festival of Culture in 2022, but as Donoghue told the Guardian, if we don’t support the sector now, there will be no culture to celebrate.
In the US, the Alliance of American Museums is seeking US$4 billion in coronavirus relief from the government for emergency assistance up to June. The amount gives an indication of the scale of the challenge: AMM says museums in the US are losing US$33m a day, and that’s not counting the impact on the private sector.
We must preserve the heart of what we do in the best ways we can, so we’re in a position to rebuild when the time comes. This is the time for our trade associations to stand up for the sector. We must back them to the hilt.
Read more from this issue of Attractions Management magazine
View contents of Attractions Management 2020 issue 1
An opportunity to reimagine one of the UK’s most recognisable towers has been formally
opened by Rivington Hark, as St Johns Beacon invites operators and partners to shape its
next phase. [more...]
We must unite and support industry leaders to lobby for the emergency funding our sectors need to shield us from the worst impacts of the coronavirus pandemic
By Liz Terry | Published in Attractions Management 2020 issue 1
ALVA director, Bernard Donoghue, is fighting for support
As we slither down the pyramid of Maslow’s famous hierarchy of needs, from the peaks of self-actualisation and the joys of creativity, spontaneity and self-fulfillment, to a focus on survival – food, shelter, water – questions hover in the air around the shape the industry will be in once we come crawling out of the other side of the pandemic.
Attractions represent one of the pinnacles of human existence, celebrating as they do our history, knowledge and culture and offering time to reflect or celebrate, to learn or to enjoy carefree time with loved ones.
But we are on the front line in the pandemic, stripped of revenue streams by the shutdowns and with no other substantial sources of income to replace this vital funding.
With such heavy infrastructure costs, many attractions may not survive. If they close, we will not only lose beloved places, but also precious people with rare and valuable skills, as teams scatter.
A world with fewer attractions and culture would be a lesser place and so we must fight and work together to keep our industry afloat in whatever ways we can.
This means powerful leadership to lobby governments to give the financial support the industry needs and calls for them to make charitable giving more tax-efficient to attract funds from high net worth individuals.
In the UK, Bernard Donoghue, director of the Association of Leading Visitor Attractions, has been leading the charge in partnership with industry body, The Museums Association. They have identified a partial solution and are working to prise £120m from the government to rescue the sector from the worst of the damage.
This had been ringfenced for a Festival of Culture in 2022, but as Donoghue told the Guardian, if we don’t support the sector now, there will be no culture to celebrate.
In the US, the Alliance of American Museums is seeking US$4 billion in coronavirus relief from the government for emergency assistance up to June. The amount gives an indication of the scale of the challenge: AMM says museums in the US are losing US$33m a day, and that’s not counting the impact on the private sector.
We must preserve the heart of what we do in the best ways we can, so we’re in a position to rebuild when the time comes. This is the time for our trade associations to stand up for the sector. We must back them to the hilt.
Read more from this issue of Attractions Management magazine
View contents of Attractions Management 2020 issue 1
A new immersive attraction designed to transport visitors into the final hours of ancient Pompeii
is preparing to open near the world-famous archaeological site in southern Italy.
Experience design company, BRC Imagination Arts, has completed a transition that sees founder
Bob Rogers pass ownership of the business to four long-serving senior executives, while
remaining actively involved with the company.
Movie Park Germany has opened a new Paramount Pictures-themed attraction as part of its 30th
anniversary celebrations, using immersive storytelling and adaptive reuse to reinforce the park’s
longstanding “Hollywood in Germany” positioning.
Therme Manchester’s 28-acre development, which will include interconnected glass pavilions
that measure 65,000sq m, will be the largest bathing and wellbeing attraction in the world once
complete, according to prof David Russell, CEO of Therme UK.
Efteling has opened Hooghmoed, a new family drop tower designed to broaden the appeal of its
recently launched Sirene Island themed area and introduce younger visitors to thrill attractions.
A proposed Puy du Fou development near Bicester and Universal Destinations and Experiences’
planned resort in Bedford are emerging as part of a wider transformation of the Oxford–
Cambridge Growth Corridor into a major centre for UK leisure and tourism inv
Shedd Aquarium has opened the Immersion Theater developed in partnership with SimEx-
Iwerks, as part of a wider strategy to enhance the guest experience and create additional
revenue opportunities.
The UK government has announced a temporary reduction in VAT on visitor attractions and
children’s meals as part of a summer cost-of-living support package designed to stimulate the
visitor economy and encourage family days out.
As designer Yinka Ilori prepares for his first solo gallery show in London, he speaks exclusively
to CLADmag about his mission to spread joy, the power of play, and his bold approach to using
colour (including the colours you won’t see in his work).
The government of Thailand is exploring plans for a THB300bn (£6.3bn, US$8.3bn)
entertainment complex in the country’s Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC), with officials
proposing a large-scale theme park and sports destination as part of a broader tourism and
economic development strategy.
An opportunity to reimagine one of the UK’s most recognisable towers has been formally
opened by Rivington Hark, as St Johns Beacon invites operators and partners to shape its
next phase. [more...]
