Pretty much every leisure time activity we undertake involves booking in advance – it’s a fundamental principle of the operation of restaurants and hotels, theatres, health clubs and sports events. It enables yield optimisation, staff allocation, crowd control and budgeting and it limits fraud.
In an increasing number of cases, it also involves payment in advance – theatres and sports events have always done this: book a ticket for a show today and you might pay in advance for a performance which is a couple of years away.
This means that the treasury function within these businesses is a major part of their cash flow and makes a significant contribution to operating profits.
And other leisure operations are following suit there are now spas that take advance payments and hairdressers and restaurants which take credit card details on booking and make a no show charge if you don’t turn up.
It’s fair they do – they’re selling time and time’s perishable: it’s a matter of self-preservation in a era when people are increasingly in a ‘last minute’ mindset.
Membership has to be the ultimate goal of any business in this industry, as it spreads payments, gains commitment and loyalty from customers and gets paid, even if they choose not to use it.
Attractions are the last bastion of the ‘pay on the gate’ approach and it’s time for this to change. Too many operators sit and wait each day to see if enough customers show up to enable them to pay the bills – it’s a hand to mouth existence which is absurd when such incredible technology is available to ramp up a whole load of great alternatives (see ticketing feature on page 87).
More sophisticated operators have always offered memberships I spent practically every weekend at Legoland on a membership ticket when my children were little – but this is the exception rather than the rule and the majority of gate money is taken on the day (or not, if the weather turns nasty).
Speaking at the Annual National Conference of Visitor Attractions (VAC) in London recently, chair Ken Robinson said the industry must grasp the opportunity and implement advance payments and memberships. Not doing so is holding us back and preventing us from deploying yield management and also from engaging properly with customers.
Memberships and advance payments involve operators taking full customer contact details and once we have these, a transformation can occur in our relationship: we know who our customers are and can properly engage with them.
Long ago, when the industry was part of the black economy, operators preferred to take cash, but those days are gone and it’s time attractions got on board the 21st century way of doing things.
Liz Terry, editor, twitter: @elizterry
Read more from this issue of Attractions Management magazine
View contents of Attractions Management 2013 issue 4
Profile: Joe Schott
The COO of Disneyland Paris talks about
the park's new immersive Ratatouille
dark ride, which is slated to open in 2014,
and how the park has evolved from an
American theme park to a European one
Pretty much every leisure time activity we undertake involves booking in advance – it’s a fundamental principle of the operation of restaurants and hotels, theatres, health clubs and sports events. It enables yield optimisation, staff allocation, crowd control and budgeting and it limits fraud.
In an increasing number of cases, it also involves payment in advance – theatres and sports events have always done this: book a ticket for a show today and you might pay in advance for a performance which is a couple of years away.
This means that the treasury function within these businesses is a major part of their cash flow and makes a significant contribution to operating profits.
And other leisure operations are following suit there are now spas that take advance payments and hairdressers and restaurants which take credit card details on booking and make a no show charge if you don’t turn up.
It’s fair they do – they’re selling time and time’s perishable: it’s a matter of self-preservation in a era when people are increasingly in a ‘last minute’ mindset.
Membership has to be the ultimate goal of any business in this industry, as it spreads payments, gains commitment and loyalty from customers and gets paid, even if they choose not to use it.
Attractions are the last bastion of the ‘pay on the gate’ approach and it’s time for this to change. Too many operators sit and wait each day to see if enough customers show up to enable them to pay the bills – it’s a hand to mouth existence which is absurd when such incredible technology is available to ramp up a whole load of great alternatives (see ticketing feature on page 87).
More sophisticated operators have always offered memberships I spent practically every weekend at Legoland on a membership ticket when my children were little – but this is the exception rather than the rule and the majority of gate money is taken on the day (or not, if the weather turns nasty).
Speaking at the Annual National Conference of Visitor Attractions (VAC) in London recently, chair Ken Robinson said the industry must grasp the opportunity and implement advance payments and memberships. Not doing so is holding us back and preventing us from deploying yield management and also from engaging properly with customers.
Memberships and advance payments involve operators taking full customer contact details and once we have these, a transformation can occur in our relationship: we know who our customers are and can properly engage with them.
Long ago, when the industry was part of the black economy, operators preferred to take cash, but those days are gone and it’s time attractions got on board the 21st century way of doing things.
Liz Terry, editor, twitter: @elizterry
Read more from this issue of Attractions Management magazine
View contents of Attractions Management 2013 issue 4
Profile: Joe Schott
The COO of Disneyland Paris talks about
the park's new immersive Ratatouille
dark ride, which is slated to open in 2014,
and how the park has evolved from an
American theme park to a European one
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.
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.
+ More news
COMPANY PROFILES
QubicaAMF UK QubicaAMF is the largest and most
innovative bowling equipment provider with
600 employees worldwi [more...]
Holovis Holovis is a privately owned company
established in 2004 by CEO Stuart
Hetherington. [more...]
