Gus Antorcha took over at SeaWorld in February 2019
It’s been almost plain sailing for Seaworld’s new head honcho. The former Carnival Cruise Lines COO, Gus Antorcha has helped the company climb out of murky waters, with what once looked like a sinking ship now starting to turn around several years of financial decline.
Appointed in February 2019, Antorcha has been SeaWorld CEO for just over half-a-year. While he admits there’s still “plenty of work to do” on a number of fronts, he’s confident in the direction the company is heading: “We’ve got an exceptional business model and we’re focused on improving our execution with enhanced marketing and communications initiatives, more effective pricing strategies and the introduction of new compelling rides, attractions and events in every one of our parks every year.”
A key investment area for SeaWorld is Orlando. Major developments in the area include Universal’s Epic Worlds (see p44) and Disney’s new Star Wars lands, both of which are expected to boost visitor numbers to the area significantly in the coming years. Antorcha believes these developments will be of great benefit to SeaWorld, with its offering helping the operator to stand out in a busy market.
“I’m encouraged by investment in Orlando and I think it will drive visitation into the market.” he says. “The amount of capital investment – including what we’re building and what the others are building in Orlando – is going to make the city an even bigger destination for tourism and vacations than it is today.
“We’re a unique value proposition. We have our rollercoasters, our lands such as Sesame Street and our animals. Together, we provide a very compelling differentiated experience for families to come in and spend part of their vacation with us.”
SeaWorld recently reported strong growth in visitor numbers and operating income, reversing a multi-year decline stemming from controversy over captive cetaceans in its parks.
Visitor numbers for the first six months of 2019 were 9.8 million visitors – a 1.7 per cent rise year on year. Company earnings were US$166.1m – a 34 per cent increase over the previous year. The company has set a target of delivering US$475m to US$500m of annual adjusted earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation by the end next year.
“We’ll continue to push on the cost lever and it’s very much becoming a way we think about an approach to business,” says Antorcha. “I came from one of the lowest cost operators in the cruise industry. Working with the team here, we’re going to continue to find ways to become more efficient without impacting the guest experience. I’ll be working closely with our in-house teams to make sure that we continue that focus and continue to drive cost out of our business.”
“Sometimes you push a little bit and you make mistake and you pull it back. A lot of what this company has been doing and what I’ve focused on is testing and learning as we go.”
Read more from this issue of Attractions Management magazine
View contents of Attractions Management 2019 issue 3
People profile: Tom Hennes
Tom Hennes discusses how he has transformed the Empire State Building's visitor experience
People profile: Dimitrios Pandermalis
The Acropolis Museum has just celebrated its 10-year anniversary. Its president, Dimitrios Pandermalis, talks about his plans to take the museum forward in the next decade and beyond
People profile: Gus Antorcha
SeaWorld's new CEO Gus Antorcha on the company's new direction as it starts to recover following several years of turmoil
Museums: A museum in motion
The Australian Centre for the Moving Image
is undergoing a AUS$40m renewal. CEO
Katrina Sedgwick talks about the plans
Tourism: The dark side
With locations like Chernobyl increasing
in popularity, Kath Hudson looks at the
dark side of the global tourism sector
Promotional feature: Whitewater
WhiteWater thinks outside the box to create memorable,
immersive experiences that go beyond the thrill
Rides: Monsters, myths and motorbikes
We take a look at some of the biggest ride
openings for visitor attractions worldwide,
including Universal’s new Hagrid coaster
Promotional feature: OurPeople
Home to the world-revered peppa pig world and welcoming more than one
million visitors every year, paultons park was voted Tripadvisor’s number
one UK amusement park for the fourth year running in 2019
Gus Antorcha took over at SeaWorld in February 2019
It’s been almost plain sailing for Seaworld’s new head honcho. The former Carnival Cruise Lines COO, Gus Antorcha has helped the company climb out of murky waters, with what once looked like a sinking ship now starting to turn around several years of financial decline.
Appointed in February 2019, Antorcha has been SeaWorld CEO for just over half-a-year. While he admits there’s still “plenty of work to do” on a number of fronts, he’s confident in the direction the company is heading: “We’ve got an exceptional business model and we’re focused on improving our execution with enhanced marketing and communications initiatives, more effective pricing strategies and the introduction of new compelling rides, attractions and events in every one of our parks every year.”
A key investment area for SeaWorld is Orlando. Major developments in the area include Universal’s Epic Worlds (see p44) and Disney’s new Star Wars lands, both of which are expected to boost visitor numbers to the area significantly in the coming years. Antorcha believes these developments will be of great benefit to SeaWorld, with its offering helping the operator to stand out in a busy market.
“I’m encouraged by investment in Orlando and I think it will drive visitation into the market.” he says. “The amount of capital investment – including what we’re building and what the others are building in Orlando – is going to make the city an even bigger destination for tourism and vacations than it is today.
“We’re a unique value proposition. We have our rollercoasters, our lands such as Sesame Street and our animals. Together, we provide a very compelling differentiated experience for families to come in and spend part of their vacation with us.”
SeaWorld recently reported strong growth in visitor numbers and operating income, reversing a multi-year decline stemming from controversy over captive cetaceans in its parks.
Visitor numbers for the first six months of 2019 were 9.8 million visitors – a 1.7 per cent rise year on year. Company earnings were US$166.1m – a 34 per cent increase over the previous year. The company has set a target of delivering US$475m to US$500m of annual adjusted earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation by the end next year.
“We’ll continue to push on the cost lever and it’s very much becoming a way we think about an approach to business,” says Antorcha. “I came from one of the lowest cost operators in the cruise industry. Working with the team here, we’re going to continue to find ways to become more efficient without impacting the guest experience. I’ll be working closely with our in-house teams to make sure that we continue that focus and continue to drive cost out of our business.”
“Sometimes you push a little bit and you make mistake and you pull it back. A lot of what this company has been doing and what I’ve focused on is testing and learning as we go.”
Read more from this issue of Attractions Management magazine
View contents of Attractions Management 2019 issue 3
People profile: Tom Hennes
Tom Hennes discusses how he has transformed the Empire State Building's visitor experience
People profile: Dimitrios Pandermalis
The Acropolis Museum has just celebrated its 10-year anniversary. Its president, Dimitrios Pandermalis, talks about his plans to take the museum forward in the next decade and beyond
People profile: Gus Antorcha
SeaWorld's new CEO Gus Antorcha on the company's new direction as it starts to recover following several years of turmoil
Museums: A museum in motion
The Australian Centre for the Moving Image
is undergoing a AUS$40m renewal. CEO
Katrina Sedgwick talks about the plans
Tourism: The dark side
With locations like Chernobyl increasing
in popularity, Kath Hudson looks at the
dark side of the global tourism sector
Promotional feature: Whitewater
WhiteWater thinks outside the box to create memorable,
immersive experiences that go beyond the thrill
Rides: Monsters, myths and motorbikes
We take a look at some of the biggest ride
openings for visitor attractions worldwide,
including Universal’s new Hagrid coaster
Promotional feature: OurPeople
Home to the world-revered peppa pig world and welcoming more than one
million visitors every year, paultons park was voted Tripadvisor’s number
one UK amusement park for the fourth year running in 2019
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.
Hotel de France, located on the British Isle of Jersey, has created a wellness retreat package
that includes a hot yoga session that will take place in Jersey Zoo’s butterfly sanctuary.
+ More news
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