Climate change is increasing the occurrence of natural catastrophes and putting pressure on the insurance industry, meaning it’s never been more vital for all attractions to have effective disaster plans in place
By Liz Terry | Published in Attractions Management 2019 issue 4
Miami Zoo’s hurricane plan ensures a safe refuge for everyone
We work in a very life-affirming industry, committed to creating peak experiences for people that form some of their most valued and precious memories.
With such a positive mindset running through the sector, it’s understandably tempting to always hope for the best and to focus on innovation, outreach, development, and growth, rather than spending time imagining the many disasters that could befall even the best prepared.
So when things go wrong and a backward step is forced on us in the form of some kind of incident, it can be jarring from the point of view of organisation culture and leave attractions operators very exposed if emergency planning hasn’t been top of the to-do list.
In this issue, we talk to attractions that have had to face huge challenges and setbacks as a result of fires, floods, earthquakes, and accidents (see page 74). We hear firsthand how they dealt with the challenges they faced and what they learned from these experiences.
It takes a generous spirit to share stories of failure and catastrophe, so we’re grateful to our contributors for sharing their stories and their hard-won advice.
It’s easy to think big national institutions must have things like disaster planning all sewn up, yet this is clearly not always the case, as was illustrated in September 2018, when the Museu Nacional in Rio de Janeiro suffered a catastrophic fire that destroyed most of its two million artifacts. Firefighters didn’t have enough water because two hydrants were dry and 200 years of history went up in flames.
The two biggest challenges in relation to preparedness are having an effective and regularly-updated disaster management plan which can be rapidly implemented and getting decent, affordable insurance which will be a help rather than a hindrance when it comes to making a claim.
With climate change increasing the frequency of disasters, the insurance industry is being squeezed and that squeeze is being passed on to customers, making claiming ever more complex and challenging: it took Christchurch museum seven years to settle after the earthquake, for example.
Attractions that are prepared cope the best, so if your disaster planning needs work, now really is the time to act.
Read more from this issue of Attractions Management magazine
View contents of Attractions Management 2019 issue 4
Interview: Yves Pépin
A man whose spectaculars have been
witnessed by billions, Yves Pépin
speaks about his trail-blazing career
Rides: Supersonic
We take a look at some of the most
significant ride openings around the world
Preview: Rulantica Rising
Germany’s top theme park is about to
launch a €180m addition with the opening of its long-awaited second
gate. Attractions Management looks
at Rulantica and how the new
waterpark addition is taking shape
Theme Parks: Parisian Magic
Daniel Delcourt and David Wilson
share more about Disney’s €2bn
expansion of Disneyland Paris
Promotional feature: Simworx Ltd
CEO, Terry Monkton, takes
us through the development of two unique projects, from conception to creation
Waterparks: Water World
Debrecen in Hungary is gaining an iconic
new addition – a US$30.1m waterpark
Promotional feature: WhiteWater
WhiteWater’s Una deBoer tells us
how the company maintains elite safety standards
in waterparks and the steps operators can take
to improve safety across the entire industry
Operations: Disaster Management
What can be learned from the experiences
of those unfortunate operators who have
had to react when disaster strikes?
Exhibitions: World Tour
Kath Hudson looks at the potential of the
pop-up and touring exhibition market
Climate change is increasing the occurrence of natural catastrophes and putting pressure on the insurance industry, meaning it’s never been more vital for all attractions to have effective disaster plans in place
By Liz Terry | Published in Attractions Management 2019 issue 4
Miami Zoo’s hurricane plan ensures a safe refuge for everyone
We work in a very life-affirming industry, committed to creating peak experiences for people that form some of their most valued and precious memories.
With such a positive mindset running through the sector, it’s understandably tempting to always hope for the best and to focus on innovation, outreach, development, and growth, rather than spending time imagining the many disasters that could befall even the best prepared.
So when things go wrong and a backward step is forced on us in the form of some kind of incident, it can be jarring from the point of view of organisation culture and leave attractions operators very exposed if emergency planning hasn’t been top of the to-do list.
In this issue, we talk to attractions that have had to face huge challenges and setbacks as a result of fires, floods, earthquakes, and accidents (see page 74). We hear firsthand how they dealt with the challenges they faced and what they learned from these experiences.
It takes a generous spirit to share stories of failure and catastrophe, so we’re grateful to our contributors for sharing their stories and their hard-won advice.
It’s easy to think big national institutions must have things like disaster planning all sewn up, yet this is clearly not always the case, as was illustrated in September 2018, when the Museu Nacional in Rio de Janeiro suffered a catastrophic fire that destroyed most of its two million artifacts. Firefighters didn’t have enough water because two hydrants were dry and 200 years of history went up in flames.
The two biggest challenges in relation to preparedness are having an effective and regularly-updated disaster management plan which can be rapidly implemented and getting decent, affordable insurance which will be a help rather than a hindrance when it comes to making a claim.
With climate change increasing the frequency of disasters, the insurance industry is being squeezed and that squeeze is being passed on to customers, making claiming ever more complex and challenging: it took Christchurch museum seven years to settle after the earthquake, for example.
Attractions that are prepared cope the best, so if your disaster planning needs work, now really is the time to act.
Read more from this issue of Attractions Management magazine
View contents of Attractions Management 2019 issue 4
Interview: Yves Pépin
A man whose spectaculars have been
witnessed by billions, Yves Pépin
speaks about his trail-blazing career
Rides: Supersonic
We take a look at some of the most
significant ride openings around the world
Preview: Rulantica Rising
Germany’s top theme park is about to
launch a €180m addition with the opening of its long-awaited second
gate. Attractions Management looks
at Rulantica and how the new
waterpark addition is taking shape
Theme Parks: Parisian Magic
Daniel Delcourt and David Wilson
share more about Disney’s €2bn
expansion of Disneyland Paris
Promotional feature: Simworx Ltd
CEO, Terry Monkton, takes
us through the development of two unique projects, from conception to creation
Waterparks: Water World
Debrecen in Hungary is gaining an iconic
new addition – a US$30.1m waterpark
Promotional feature: WhiteWater
WhiteWater’s Una deBoer tells us
how the company maintains elite safety standards
in waterparks and the steps operators can take
to improve safety across the entire industry
Operations: Disaster Management
What can be learned from the experiences
of those unfortunate operators who have
had to react when disaster strikes?
Exhibitions: World Tour
Kath Hudson looks at the potential of the
pop-up and touring exhibition market
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.
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
+ More news
COMPANY PROFILES
Taylor Made Designs Founded in 1993, Taylor Made
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and brand-enhancing merchandise
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Sally Corporation Our services include: Dark ride design & build; Redevelopment of existing attractions; High-quality [more...]
Polin Waterparks Polin was founded in Istanbul in 1976. Polin
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