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Merlin reveals financial impact of Alton Towers accident | East Anglian Daily Times (eadt.co.uk)

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Merlin saw like-for-live revenues tumble by 11.4% across its theme park division over the first nine months of its financial year after seeing "significantly" lower numbers of visitors to Alton Towers, while other UK attractions in the unit, such as Thorpe Park, were also hit.

It warned that annual theme park earnings would be at the lower end of expectations and would probably continue to be impacted over 2016 in the aftermath of the accident.

Five people were seriously injured in the crash on June 2 on The Smiler ride, which resulted in the 500-acre theme park in Staffordshire being shut down for four days.

Merlin also suspended UK theme park marketing and temporarily closed rides at two other sites.

The group said in its latest trading update that poor weather throughout August also kept visitors away from its theme parks, while the strong pound against the euro impacted demand from European holidaymakers for its London tourist attractions, which include Madame Tussauds and the London Eye.

But the popularity of its Legoland resorts helped shore up wider group trading, with overall like-for-like sales edging 0.3% higher in the 36 weeks to September 5.

Merlin has already warned over profits in the theme park business, saying in July that earnings would be between £40million to £50m, down from £87m in 2014. It now believes earnings will come in at the lower end of the range.

"Although difficult to assess at this stage, we continue to believe that there may be an ongoing adverse impact on the resort theme parks operating group profitability in 2016," the group added.

It is still expecting the wider group to see profit before tax "broadly in line" with last year at £249m this year after savings in financing and other costs.

Chief executive Nick Varney said in July he was "deeply sorry" over the Alton Towers crash, which he described as a "devastating event". He said the firm would continue to do what it could to support those who were injured and their families.

Richard Hunter, head of equities at Hargreaves Lansdown Stockbrokers, said: "The aftermath of the Alton Towers tragedy is still being felt in terms of a reduction in visitor numbers, with the possibility that this may yet follow through to next season."

But he added Merlin was "far from being a one-trick pony", which has helped its share price remain relatively firm despite the theme park hit.

He said: "The Legoland parks continue to grow apace, even against strong comparatives, whilst the strategy of turning parks into resorts with the opening of new hotels at several location is ongoing.

"Meanwhile, in addition to this year's launch of seven attractions, a further seven are planned for next year across the globe, with Legoland and Madame Tussauds being of particular focus."

Merlin's Legoland resorts notched up like-for-like revenue growth of 6.7% over the nine months to September 5, helped by the new Lego "Friends" themed areas at Legoland in Windsor, California and Florida.

It has also opened new hotels at a number of resorts, including the 125-lodge Enchanted Village at Alton Towers and the Aztec hotel at Chessington World of Adventures, which has helped offset the drop in visitors.

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Merlin reveals financial impact of Alton Towers accident

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Merlin saw like-for-live revenues tumble by 11.4% across its theme park division over the first nine months of its financial year after seeing "significantly" lower numbers of visitors to Alton Towers, while other UK attractions in the unit, such as Thorpe Park, were also hit.

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Legal Matters In 2015, four people were injured in an accident involving one of the attraction's most popular rides. As a result, the park was closed due to an ongoing investigation. However, in the months that followed, it was reported that the attraction's visitor numbers dropped significantly. This meant that local businesses that profited from the theme parks had started to suffer such as the shops in Alton that people also visited whilst visiting Alton Towers. Therefore, if something similar happens again in the future, it could have a negative impact on local businesses that rely on tourism from tourists visiting Alton Towers as the accident that occurred in 2015 saw visitor numbers decrease by 11.4%.

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Alton Towers has fundraising events throughout the year, from McMillion Coffee Morning charity bake sales and fun family nights, to memorabilia auctions to raise significant funds to support Merlin's wand and other charities and campaigns. Alton Towers Resort also makes local donations to support Staffordshire charities and community projects, provides lodging experiences for children of local hospice and end-of-life care beneficiaries, and provides educational support including the Princes Trust. and training programs. Events hosted by Alton Towers are positive because they involve locals and encourage locals to join their vision of tourism. By supporting the local community in this way, both brand and appeal are perceived positively. Alton Towers considers Drayton Manor a competitor. Drayton Manor offers wedding packages. This is something Alton Towers do not currently offer. More and more people want to have their wedding in a unique location, so I think this should be taken into consideration as they could work with local suppliers.

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Merlin Entertainments | Environment

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Helping reduce plastic pollution

An estimated 26 million tonnes of plastic pollution ends up in the oceans each year. As advocates of marine conservation, we're focusing even more on removing single use plastic from our business and actively seeking out environmentally responsible businesses throughout our supply chain.

In 2018, we phased out plastic straws within all Merlin's owned attractions worldwide. We'll continue to review the use of plastic within our business, seek innovative partnerships to raise awareness of plastic misuse, and promote recycling through our attractions.

Employee participation

Every year we take part in 'We Care about our Planet' events to support our commitment to sustainability. These include collecting plastics and other waste, encouraging staff to cycle, walk and even skateboard to work and driving awareness about environmental initiatives amongst our staff and guests. Our SEA LIFE aquariums host 'beach cleans' to clear litter and help prevent materials entangling and poisoning creatures that live on or near the beach.

Reporting

We're required to report on our carbon dioxide emissions annually. Our target is to reduce our carbon emission intensity by 2.0% year on year. Full details of our reporting can be found in the Responsible Business section of our Annual Report and Accounts.

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Helping reduce plastic pollution An estimated 26 million tonnes of plastic pollution ends up in the oceans each year. As advocates of marine conservation, we're focusing even more on removing single use plastic from our business and actively seeking out environmentally responsible businesses throughout our supply chain.

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https://notlost.com/the-secret-to-enhancing-customer-experience-at-your-visitor-attraction-this-halloween/

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Customer experience is at the forefront of any visitor attraction or theme park organiser's mind when it comes to one of the busiest times of the year - Halloween.

This blog will explore how technological advances have changed the game for these attractions. Customer satisfaction is constantly improving due to important changes to the way the attractions are run. Most notably, we highlight how important a reliable, market-leading lost property process can be for a brilliant customer experience. Our clients Alton Towers are a brilliant example of how this works.

The busy summer season has sadly ended so for many businesses this may mean the gentle dwindle of customers. However, for businesses like theme parks and visitor attractions, things are only about to get busier.

The period from the end of October to November means one thing - Halloween. A huge hit for all ages, young and old. Halloween events are in full swing across the UK, from Thorpe Park's Fright Nights, to Blackpool Pleasure Beach. Even some of the zoos, such as Longleat and ZSL London Zoo, are getting in the spooky spirit!

This busy Autumn period will push visitor attractions to the limit; the demand for the perfect experience will be higher whilst queues simply get longer. This can mean a real decline in customer satisfaction which is detrimental for the overall enjoyment of the attraction.

So, what can cause a bad customer experience? And what are visitor attractions doing to improve it?

1) Paperwork in a paper-less society

The problem:

Printing tickets, looking after passes, room keys and cards can be a great hassle, especially if you're with the whole family.

The solution:

Companies have launched innovative wearable bands act as park passes, room keys and contactless payment devices. For example, Disney's 'Magic Band' allows guests to enjoy the park to the max without worrying about tickets, paperwork, multiple cards or keys. Attractions are also now moving towards exclusively paper-free e-ticketing. This encourages customers to book in advance, allowing the attractions to predict footfall and to adapt accordingly. Also, it means customers can arrive with just their phone with an e-mail and simply scan a barcode.

The problem:

Queues are the most dreaded part of the day. Research reports that amongst the UKs leading attractions, queues for rides can bypass 2 hours on peak days.

The solution:

Leading attractions have invested time and money into upgrading the experience of queuing. A prime example is that of Disney's Star Tours attraction, that has used the queue as part of the overall ride experience. Themed spaces and interactivity eliminates the worst part of the day and boosts customer experience.

The problem:

The tech world is constantly evolving. As such, visitor attractions can get stuck in with out-dated tech, lacking the latest gadgets and gizmos to excite customers.

The solution:

Companies are working hard to ensure their attractions have cutting-edge technology to put them above their competitors. In August 2019, Coca-Cola worked in partnership with Alton Towers to pilot self-driving robots to deliver drinks to visitors. These robots used cutting-edge artificial intelligence, GPS tech, sight, sound and motion sensors to trial if attractions could enable 24/7 on-demand logistic services. They went down a treat with visitors!

4) Lack of environmental awareness

The problem:

Encouraging sustainability in every aspect of our lives is of global importance now. For example, food wastage is a concern as data shows 1/3 of all food produced in the UK ends up in the bin. Additionally, reducing the use of single-use plastic at visitor attractions has proven hard and many are still struggling to eliminate this bad-practice.

The solution:

Attractions have launched a variety of initiatives in order to combat this. Firstly, easy-to-use recycling bins around the site have encouraged sustainable behaviour from visitors. Furthermore, the pull towards re-usable cups has been astounding.

Recently, Thorpe Park introduced their Fright Night reusable cups to try and stamp out single-use plastic from its park. Changes are being made, much to the customers delight, improving customer experience.

The problem:

Visitors to attractions and theme parks are only human. Therefore, every day a lot of belongings go missing and a lot end up in lost property. This means customers must battle against old-fashioned, poorly organised lost property systems in the hope they will be returned with their item. This is frustrating for visitors, as staff are often busy with other jobs and it can take a lot of time and enjoyment out of your trip.

The solution:

To put it simply, NotLost does it best. Using NotLost's transformational lost and found software solution ensures the whole process is efficient from start to finish. This enables visitors to be reunited with their lost items and significantly improves the customer experience.

NotLost has worked alongside Alton Towers to completely transform their lost property process for the better.

The market-leader when it comes to theme parks is undoubtedly Alton Towers Resort. Based in Staffordshire, attracting guests from every corner of the country, Alton Towers Resort saw an estimated 2.1 million visitors through its gates in 2018.

From 18th October - 3rd November, the UK's largest theme park Alton Towers Resorts hosts its ninth annual ' Scarefest '. Scarefest treats (or tricks?) guests to menacing mazes, terrifying tours of the haunted Altonville Mines and chilling interactive live shows, alongside the chance to ride the nations favourite rides in the dark!

With expected footfall to peak during this October-November period, it's paramount that Alton Towers put visitor experience at the forefront of their minds.

The challenge:

Each week, up to 200 items were found across the park and passed to the Box Office for registration and then onto Reception for storage. Around 150 enquiries came in via a number of channels to both locations. Each item was registered manually on a paper form and then was inputted into Excel. Shockingly, it typically took up to 15 minutes to register each item as team members were often distracted with other important guest-facing tasks.

The process was extremely time-consuming and difficult. Moreover, the lack of communication to guests resulted in numerous enquiries about the same items, further convoluting the process and frustrating everybody involved. The whole process was a burden for team members and resulted in a negative guest experience.

The solution:

Items are now registered with NotLost on an electronic tablet. Image recognition software ensures accurate data entry and detailed, standardised reports, as well as removing the need for duplicate registration. NotLost have also built an online lost form that provides a simple 24/7 method for visitors to report lost items. The use of images, lost/found comparison and keyword searching enables reception staff to quickly identify items and validate guest enquiries. To find out more about how it works, head here!

The results:

The team spend up to 90% less time registering items and 20% less time handling enquiries. The customer experience has also improved. A more robust process means that enquiries have a faster turnaround, and ultimately more items are returned.

"It's now a lot simpler for guests to report a lost item. We've even had quite a few emails from people post visit saying 'thank you for finding it so quickly' and 'it's been really efficient!"

Sales and Customer Services Manager | Alton Towers

In conclusion, using technology and innovation is vital for customer success and satisfaction. Most notably, the issue of lost property can be fixed with NotLost's transformational software solution.

Are you in charge of lost property at your visitor attraction? Think NotLost could be the answer to your lost and found woes? Please feel free to get in touch, we'd love to hear from you!

To find out more about NotLost, check out our . Or, explore our About Us section, as well as our Twitter or LinkedIn case studies from different industries to get a real feel to how we work.

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The secret to enhancing customer experience at your attraction | Blog

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Customer experience is at the forefront of any visitor attraction or theme park organiser's mind when it comes to one of the busiest times of the year - Halloween. This blog will explore how technological advances have changed the game for these attractions.

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The Staffordshire Council are discussing a 10-year plan to increase tourism in Staffordshire by keeping Alton Towers open all year round. The theme park would create more jobs and more long-term positions if it were open all year meaning that living standards in the area will improve due to having more disposable income. Yet, I also believe that Alton Towers could lower the amount of visitors if they were open all year round as this would evenly distribute the traffic however, if Alton Towers were to be open all year round they would need an attraction to get tourists to visit, this could be an indoor rollercoaster or other events. Customers' top complaint is that the lines are too long, which makes the day miserable. The park is also close to other local attractions, such as Wildlife Park. I believe that Alton Towers could cooperate with Amazing Walls and Wetley Moor Alpacas and provide a combined ticket price. This would entice tourists to stay for more than a single day in the region therefore spending more money contributing the local economy.

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Impacts of Tourism Revision Notes B.pdf (goldington.beds.sch.uk)

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Popular wedding venue types UK 2019 | Statista

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A survey in 2019 among individuals married in 2018 and 2019 showed that country/manor houses were the most popular wedding venue, chosen by 26 percent of respondents. Bars, city hotels/venues, and garden or outdoor types of venues were also among the top wedding venues. Museums or attractions, sporting venues and warehouses were least commonly used venues for weddings.

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Popular wedding venue types UK 2019 | Statista

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A survey in 2019 among individuals married in 2018 and 2019 showed that country/manor houses were the most popular wedding venue, chosen by 26 percent of respondents. Bars, city hotels/venues, and garden or outdoor types of venues were also among the top wedding venues.

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Alton Towers rollercoaster crash: villagers wait for trade to return | UK news | The Guardian

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A few miles past the village of Alton, on through the Staffordshire countryside, is the former seat of the Earl of Shrewsbury.

Screams rise from inside the woodland boundary of Alton Towers as thrillseekers clamber aboard rides - seemingly undeterred by a rollercoaster crash in the park in June that left 16 people stranded.

Inside the 200-hectare (500-acre) amusement park are thousands of visitors.

Loishana Ani, 18, stands next to the 14-loop Smiler rollercoaster, closed since an incident in which four people were seriously hurt.

"I've been on it before, it was really good. I think I would go on it if it reopened because they would be more cautious and make it better," she said.

Alton Towers has yet to complete its investigation into the cause of the crash but has taken full responsibility for those injured including 18-year-old Leah Washington and Vicky Balch, who each had a leg amputated.

Leah Washington talks about her experience on ITV's This Morning programme. Photograph: Ken McKay/ITV/Rex Shutterstock

Those taking advantage of the many offers and vouchers available at the park see the crash as a freak occurrence.

"Accidents happen. You can get killed crossing the road. I'd go on it today if it was open," said Rob Taylor, 42, fresh off the Oblivion rollercoaster.

Lab scientist Shiekha Al-Hajri and her two brothers are on a two-week holiday from Oman and booked their Alton Towers trip as part of a four-stop tour which also included London, Oxford and Edinburgh. "I would ride it [the Smiler] for sure if it was open," said Al-Hajri.

Merlin Entertainment, the company behind the theme park, will not comment on visitor numbers but local anecdotal evidence is that numbers have fallen dramatically since the accident.

Down the road in the historic village of Alton, business would usually benefit from knock-on trade from the theme park. But this summer it is suffering.

"Normally the traffic is backed up right up here to the village from 9.30am to 11.30am," said gardener Andrew Cooper. "It's been quiet since the accident. Alton Towers has taken a hammering in the press and it's affecting local business."

For locals, there are upsides: "You can do all the rides within two hours, there are no queues," said one villager. Down the road, shopkeeper Debbie Fenton agreed: "You used to have to queue for up to two hours for CBeebies [a children's area] but I've a friend who said there was hardly any queue now."

Four weeks ago, Merlin Entertainment warned that its annual profits were expected to be £26m lower than anticipated because fewer families have been visiting the theme park. In a trading update, the company said the temporary closure of the park and suspension of marketing had resulted in "significantly reduced volume" of visitors.

Opened in 2013, the Smiler rollercoaster was Alton Towers' star attraction, breaking the previous world record for the most inversions in a rollercoaster. At a cost of £18m, it represented the company's biggest investment.

"This is more than just a physical rollercoaster, this is really going to be something that plays with your mind," John Wardley, Smiler's designer, said at the time.

"When you turn upside down 14 times in a relatively small space, it's over a kilometre of track, boy oh boy, you never get an opportunity to work out what is up, what is down, what is sideways, your brain is just spinning over and over and over," he said at the launch.

For those involved in the crash, it was a life-changing ride. Washington's injuries were so bad that she nearly died twice while trapped in the wreckage of the rollercoaster as medics battled to treat her.

Her lawyer, Paul Paxton, of Stewarts Law, has said the compensation claim will be substantial. "It will not just be for now, it is for life, and is likely to run into millions."

Back in Alton, businessespeople hope the corporate fallout will not last through to next season. The amusement park has engaged with the community on how to improve businesses by focusing on other interests in the area including walks, fishing, restaurants and neighbouring historic market towns.

"Business has definitely been affected, bookings are down," said Lynn Phoenix, owner of the Bank House guesthouse. "However, they are starting to trickle back now."

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Alton Towers rollercoaster crash: villagers wait for trade to return

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A few miles past the village of Alton, on through the Staffordshire countryside, is the former seat of the Earl of Shrewsbury. Screams rise from inside the woodland boundary of Alton Towers as thrillseekers clamber aboard rides - seemingly undeterred by a rollercoaster crash in the park in June that left 16 people stranded.

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Alton Tower uses technology for many reasons. Technology enables businesses to reach more customers, serve more customers, and communicate better. Visitors can book online prior to their visit and scan their tickets in the form of a QR code on the site. Additionally, in 2019, Alton Towers teamed up with Coca-Cola to pilot a self-driving robot that delivers drinks to customers. Technology attracts customers and makes things more convenient, but the negative impact is that Alton Towers uses technology instead of using humans for some tasks, even though it employs local staff, for example Selling tickets and scanning tickets upon entry requires less manpower as technology takes its place. This will have a negative impact on local employment in the area. But a positive effect that technology has had on communities is that people are now able to book tickets online, and fewer vehicles line up in villages to buy same-day tickets. this would have a positive impact as it would avoid traffic congestion in the area.

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Alton Towers supports the local community by providing jobs. Around 2,500 locals are employed by Alton Towers. Alton Towers earned £1.74 billion in revenue in 2019, which has a beneficial economic impact on the community because visitors' wages are spent locally. The multiplier effect is used to describe this. Although many of the jobs at Alton Towers are seasonal, people lose their jobs throughout the year. The more money Alton Towers makes, the more it benefits the neighbourhood and contributes to the region's GDP. With more money, the local area can improve their infrastructure. This includes new buildings such as hotels, roads and railways, which could benefit locals in terms of accessibility and employment.

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Each year, Alton Towers invests in green initiatives such as LED lighting, solar power, variable speed drives and water efficiency management at attractions to reduce carbon emissions and climate change. There are many things Alton Towers is doing now to address climate issues. They are avoiding landfills wherever possible by investing in renewable assets on site and recycling waste to generate energy. The attraction has also contributed to reducing plastic pollution and is now committed to removing single-use plastic from its attractions. One example is when they phased out plastic straws in 2018. These initiatives can raise awareness of environmental issues and benefit the environment. This is also good as some tourists are motivated to visit certain attractions if they do something for the environment.

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Merlin Entertainments | Communities

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We believe a thriving hospitality and tourism sector is a cornerstone to any economy. It's often the principal industry within certain areas. Many young people start their working life in this industry and we're proud to be their springboard into many rewarding careers.

Investing in our people

Merlin employs 28,000 passionate people who are dedicated and committed to delighting our guests. We invest in their training and development, and offer opportunities to learn valuable skill sets on the job. Accelerate apprenticeships provide the opportunity to experience many roles in several locations, while our apprenticeships provide practical experience and the chance to learn skills in specific professions.

Contributing locally

In many locations, we contribute significantly to the local economy through employment, local procurement, while supporting other local enterprises and services through generating consistent flows of tourists. Wherever we operate, we aim to be an integrated partner to our immediate communities, protecting our environments and investing in local initiatives.

Taking a leadership position in our industry

We're proud to be a member of UK Hospitality and the British Association of Leisure Parks, Piers and Attractions.

We actively participate in developing policy and legislation at both a national and local level. To promote effective, considered policy-making and attract greater investment into our sector, we play a key role within our trade associations, and frequently share information and best practice.

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We believe a thriving hospitality and tourism sector is a cornerstone to any economy. It's often the principal industry within certain areas. Many young people start their working life in this industry and we're proud to be their springboard into many rewarding careers.