The pandemic has been hugely disruptive for people working in the attractions sector. A new report highlights operators using creative solutions to rebuild staff joy
Upskilling staff in digital can help retention / Photo: shutterstock/ PeopleImages.com – Yuri A
Every year, Elizabeth Merritt and her team at the American Alliance of Museums examine changes shaping the sector in their influential TrendsWatch publication.
From augmented reality to Blockchain, this year’s report highlights the forces shaping museums and many are relevant right across the attractions industry.
In our interview in this issue, Merritt says the pandemic has had a major impact on the workforce which has led to stress, burnout and resignations, with a labour exodus hitting the nonprofit sector particularly hard.
Since the world reopened, some employers have been struggling to attract and retain staff and Merritt says it’s not only about pay and benefits – although these are still important – companies must now offer flexible, hybrid work schedules, examine their workplace culture and think creatively if they want to build strong teams.
TrendsWatch highlights organisations taking a more dynamic approach, including Delaware Art Museum, which has broadened its pool of applicants by removing unnecessary requirements from job descriptions, while also recruiting outside the museum sector and the Philbrook Museum of Art, which has partnered with recruitment initiative Tulsa Remote to provide cultural incentives for workers to relocate.
California historic house, Filoli, focused on pay when staff turnover soared to 50 per cent, prompting managers to make a living wage the base remuneration for all positions and increasing revenue in a variety of ways to support these higher salaries. Following the change, Filoli reports that turnover staff dropped down to eight per cent.
All these examples show how attractions can make small changes that make a big difference to the people charged with the duty of delivering the customer experience.
TrendWatch also considers the power of tech and its role in developing teams, suggesting the creation of staff development plans for digital literacy – another example of career development.
Read more from this issue of Attractions Management magazine
View contents of Attractions Management 2023 issue 2
Editor's letter: People power
The pandemic has been disruptive for the people in our industry. A new report shares how operators are getting creative to overcome issues
Letters: Write to reply
Liseberg CEO Andreas Andersen tells us 2023 will celebrate the past, but also be the start of something new, while BALPPA CEO Paul Kelly explains why the organisation has launched individual memberships
People: Sarah Roots
The countdown is on to the opening of Warner Bros Studio Tour Tokyo. We hear the latest
People: David Camp
With Puy du Fou, Eden International and Europa-Park among its clients, D&J International Consulting has done exciting work in its first decade
Interview: Scott O'Neil
US sports and entertainment veteran O’Neil is now CEO of Merlin Entertainments and he has big plans for the company. Magali Robathan sat down with him
Ethics: Reckoning with history
As a ground-breaking project aims to digitally unite Benin Bronzes for the first time, the Horniman Museum becomes the latest institution to return looted artefacts
Research: Elizabeth Merritt
What are the biggest trends affecting the museum sector? The VP of the Center for the Future of Museums shares her thoughts
Research: TrendsWatch: Building the future
A digital revolution, reparations and repatriation, partisan wars and the future of the workplace – key trends highlighted by this year’s TrendsWatch report
Research: China theme parks: New era
China is the world’s second largest market for theme parks and still has huge potential for growth, as a McKinsey report explains
Visitor centre: A golden age: Ad Gefrin
A new multi-million pound Anglo Saxon museum and whiskey distillery tells an old story in a new way. AM talks to the founders
Immersive art: House of Fun: Luna Luna
Works from Luna Luna, a ground-breaking ‘art amusement park’ have languished in storage for 30 years. Now rapper Drake is bringing them back to life
The pandemic has been hugely disruptive for people working in the attractions sector. A new report highlights operators using creative solutions to rebuild staff joy
Upskilling staff in digital can help retention / Photo: shutterstock/ PeopleImages.com – Yuri A
Every year, Elizabeth Merritt and her team at the American Alliance of Museums examine changes shaping the sector in their influential TrendsWatch publication.
From augmented reality to Blockchain, this year’s report highlights the forces shaping museums and many are relevant right across the attractions industry.
In our interview in this issue, Merritt says the pandemic has had a major impact on the workforce which has led to stress, burnout and resignations, with a labour exodus hitting the nonprofit sector particularly hard.
Since the world reopened, some employers have been struggling to attract and retain staff and Merritt says it’s not only about pay and benefits – although these are still important – companies must now offer flexible, hybrid work schedules, examine their workplace culture and think creatively if they want to build strong teams.
TrendsWatch highlights organisations taking a more dynamic approach, including Delaware Art Museum, which has broadened its pool of applicants by removing unnecessary requirements from job descriptions, while also recruiting outside the museum sector and the Philbrook Museum of Art, which has partnered with recruitment initiative Tulsa Remote to provide cultural incentives for workers to relocate.
California historic house, Filoli, focused on pay when staff turnover soared to 50 per cent, prompting managers to make a living wage the base remuneration for all positions and increasing revenue in a variety of ways to support these higher salaries. Following the change, Filoli reports that turnover staff dropped down to eight per cent.
All these examples show how attractions can make small changes that make a big difference to the people charged with the duty of delivering the customer experience.
TrendWatch also considers the power of tech and its role in developing teams, suggesting the creation of staff development plans for digital literacy – another example of career development.
Read more from this issue of Attractions Management magazine
View contents of Attractions Management 2023 issue 2
Editor's letter: People power
The pandemic has been disruptive for the people in our industry. A new report shares how operators are getting creative to overcome issues
Letters: Write to reply
Liseberg CEO Andreas Andersen tells us 2023 will celebrate the past, but also be the start of something new, while BALPPA CEO Paul Kelly explains why the organisation has launched individual memberships
People: Sarah Roots
The countdown is on to the opening of Warner Bros Studio Tour Tokyo. We hear the latest
People: David Camp
With Puy du Fou, Eden International and Europa-Park among its clients, D&J International Consulting has done exciting work in its first decade
Interview: Scott O'Neil
US sports and entertainment veteran O’Neil is now CEO of Merlin Entertainments and he has big plans for the company. Magali Robathan sat down with him
Ethics: Reckoning with history
As a ground-breaking project aims to digitally unite Benin Bronzes for the first time, the Horniman Museum becomes the latest institution to return looted artefacts
Research: Elizabeth Merritt
What are the biggest trends affecting the museum sector? The VP of the Center for the Future of Museums shares her thoughts
Research: TrendsWatch: Building the future
A digital revolution, reparations and repatriation, partisan wars and the future of the workplace – key trends highlighted by this year’s TrendsWatch report
Research: China theme parks: New era
China is the world’s second largest market for theme parks and still has huge potential for growth, as a McKinsey report explains
Visitor centre: A golden age: Ad Gefrin
A new multi-million pound Anglo Saxon museum and whiskey distillery tells an old story in a new way. AM talks to the founders
Immersive art: House of Fun: Luna Luna
Works from Luna Luna, a ground-breaking ‘art amusement park’ have languished in storage for 30 years. Now rapper Drake is bringing them back to life
OMA has completed a major transformation of New York's New Museum, creating a larger
cultural campus that combines expanded exhibition spaces with learning, performance,
hospitality and public programming.
A US$50 million (£44.2 million, €51.2 million) transformation of Chicago's historic McCormick
Mansion has created a new destination that combines live magic, immersive theatre, dining and
private membership under one roof.
The Montana Historical Society has officially celebrated the opening of its new Montana
Heritage
Center, a US$107 million (£79 million, €92 million) destination that combines immersive
storytelling with cutting-edge audiovisual technology to bring the sta
San Antonio Zoo has reported a US$283 million economic impact for 2025, following a decade-
long transformation programme that has seen almost US$200 million invested into the Texas
attraction.
Plans for the AU$180 million redevelopment of Reef HQ Aquarium in Townsville, Australia, are
progressing, with the project set to transform the attraction into a global centre for reef
education and conservation.
Abu Dhabi-based investment firm Mubadala Capital has made a binding, fully financed
€1 billion
offer to acquire Pierre and Vacances SA, the European holiday resort operator behind the
continental European Center Parcs business.
Disney has reaffirmed its commitment to investing US$30 billion in its US parks and cruise
business by 2033, using new America250 celebrations to underline the role its attractions play
in supporting jobs, tourism and economic growth.
Expo 2030 Riyadh is being planned as a permanent visitor destination, with organisers
confirming the six-million-square-metre site will become a Global Village after the event closes.
The owner of one of Australia's best-known waterparks has acquired a major competitor,
creating a new attractions business spanning two of the country's largest visitor destinations.
The Toverland theme park in the Netherlands has announced a €98m expansion programme
that will add a resort, new attractions and staff facilities as it pursues plans to become a multi-
day destination.
