VA - impacts on the local community. by Teah Turvey (Student)

215777_4 — 2024-01-23 10:01:02 UTC

Economic Impacts.

215777_4 — 2024-01-23 10:02:34 UTC

Alton Towers contributes to the local people mostly through employment. Alton Towers employs around 2,500 local people. In 2019, Alton Towers made £1.74 billion, meaning all the money being spent at this attraction provide the wages for the staff, and its a positive impact as the staffs wages then get spent in the local area. This is called the multiplier effect. However, most jobs at Alton Towers are seasonal as it shuts during the winter and so all the staff become unemployed at other times of the year. it also makes it harder for them to have a stable job because if they work at Alton towers for half the year they cant just get a job for the rest of the year and then quit to go back to Alton towers.
As well as contributing to the local people Alton Towers also contributes to the local economy by purchasing there goods through locals instead of shipping them this intern supports the local business. Alton towers also brings in a lot of people and they have to pass through town to get to Alton towers this helps the locals as well.
The more money that Alton Towers generate will benefit the local area and will contribute to the local GDP, with more money, the local area can improve their infrastructure which could include new buildings such as hotels, roads and railways which will benefit the local people by fixing there living standard as well as making it more accessible and they provide jobs.

Environmental Impacts.

215777_4 — 2024-01-23 10:29:39 UTC

to reduce carbon and mange climate change each year Alton Towers have decided to budget for environmentally friendly options such as LED lighting, solar PV, variable speed drive and manage water efficiency at the attraction.

For instance, they have a number of environmental teams who monitor activities, a traffic management team to help improve congestion at peak times, and are constantly expanding their recycling capabilities They have also installed sensor taps, waterless urinals, and lights on sensors within their toilet blocks to reduce water usage. Additionally, they have installed aerator showerheads in their hotels to reduce the amount of water used There are many things that Alton Towers are currently doing to manage climate issues, some are investing in onsite renewable assets and diverting waste from landfill where possible through recycling and generating energy from waste. The attraction is also helping to reduce plastic pollution and are currently focusing on removing single use plastic from the attraction. An example includes in 2018 where they phased out plastic straws. By having these initiatives in place in can help benefit the environment as it raises awareness of the environmental issues. In addition to this, some tourists are motivated to visit certain attractions if they’re doing their bit for the environment in which case this means that Alton Towers may attract more tourists.

215777_4 — 2024-01-23 10:30:08 UTC

Technological

215777_4 — 2024-01-26 09:37:56 UTC

Alton Tower uses technology for various reasons, technology enables the business to reach more customers, serve more customers and to improve communication. Visitors can book online before they visit, scan their ticket in the form of a QR code once they get there. Alton Towers has implemented several technological advancements to enhance the customer experience. An example of this is the use of robotic technology to deliver Coca-Cola products to customers Additionally, the park uses walkie-talkies to enable staff communication and ensure smooth operations. Alton Towers also leverages social media platforms such as Twitter to communicate with customers during times of crisis, Although, technology intrigues customers and makes things more convenient for them the negative impact of this is with Alton Towers employing local people but using technology instead of using people to do some jobs like selling tickets and scanning tickets as you enter the park, less people will be needed as technology will take their place. This will have a negative impact on local employment in the area. However, a positive impact that technology has had on the local community is that now people are able to book their tickets online, there are less vehicles queueing in the village to purchase tickets on the day, this would have a positive impact as it would avoid traffic congestion in the area.

Social Impacts.

215777_4 — 2024-01-29 09:47:28 UTC

Alton Towers does a lot for the communities, Alton towers put on things like fundraising events throughout the year including bake sales for specific causes to McMillion coffee mornings, and family fun nights to memorabilia auctions to raise vital funds to supporting Merlin’s Magic Wand and other charities and campaigns. Alton Towers Resort also makes local donations to support charities and community engagement projects in Staffordshire, they provide overnight experiences to local hospices and their child beneficiaries in end-of-life care and deliver educational and training programmes including Princes Trust. all the events Alton towers put on have positive outcomes to all communities as they are involving the local people and encouraging local people to input into the tourism vision. By supporting the local community like this both the brand and attraction will be seen in a positive light.

Alton Towers also see Drayton Manor as a competitor. Because at Drayton manor they offer more stuff than Alton towers. At Drayton Manor they do things like wedding packages. This is something that Alton Towers do not currently offer. I think that this is something that they should consider as there is an increase in people wanting to host their weddings at unique venues.

Legal Impacts

215777_4 — 2024-01-29 10:07:24 UTC

Alton towers can have such a negative impact from accidents. Like in 2015 there was a crash on one of the most popular rides the smiler where 4 people were injured. Due to this the park was closed due to an ongoing investigation. However, in the months that followed it was reported that visitor numbers to the attraction fell drastically. This meant that local businesses that benefited from the theme park from knock-on trade suffered. Therefore, if something similar was to occur in the future again, it would negatively impact the attraction and the local businesses this would mean that tourist wouldn't want to visit the attraction anymore because they would deem it unsafe and would have second thoughts of bringing there family there. these means that their profits would be down which would effective the local economy.

Political Impacts

215777_4 — 2024-01-29 10:45:02 UTC

A 10-year plan that is in the makes to help boosts tourism in Staffordshire is to have Alton Towers open all year long. By having the theme park open all year long would help, generate more jobs and more permanent positions. However, I also think that if Alton Towers were to be open all year, they could reduce the number of queues that happens during the summer which is one of the customers biggest complaint. Additionally, there are other local attractions nearby the park including Wildlife Park. Awesome Walls and Wetley Moor Alpaca’s, I think that Alton Towers could work alongside these attractions and offer a combined ticket price. This would encourage visitors to spend more than one day in the local area. By the attraction being open all year round it will create more jobs for the local area in particular full-time positions. This will also improve the cost-of-living standards in the area as people will have more disposable income.