The pandemic slammed revenue at amusement parks, but it was a one-off problem. Looking ahead, operators must market the appeal of season passes to help cope with flatlining attendance.
With its new policy, TripAdvisor is making a clear statement about the use of marine animals for entertainment. Will it be setting a trend for others to follow? Even more interesting will be seeing how companies like SeaWorld react.
SeaWorld's challenges have not gone away. But it enjoys several advantages over its theme park rivals, such as having marine-themed parks, which are a rare and distinctive product. Its new CEO is rightly focused on investing for growth while finding operational efficiencies.
The news has been consistently positive for SeaWorld lately after a long stretch of disappointing results. With new leadership and a strategy that has been working, 2019 is shaping up well.
This week in tourism, SeaWorld signals a real change with a new company head, travel advisors start to promote mystery vacations, and Disney is pretty confident its new Star Wars attractions will be a hit.
By going outside the company for its new CEO, SeaWorld is clearly looking to signal that it is serious about a new beginning. Gus Antorcha will have his work cut out for him up the turnpike in Orlando.
SeaWorld is making theme park visitors an offer some apparently can't refuse: a good deal. With attendance continuing to rise and a slate of new attractions on the horizon, the operator might finally be leaving the bad times behind.
SeaWorld has been making it more affordable for people to visit its parks and sweetening the deal at some locations with free beer. Those tactics seem to be working, according to preliminary figures for the summer.
More than five years after the Blackfish documentary made a splash, SeaWorld is finally facing the music for lying to the public about the impact. In a way, though, the company has been paying a price for years: A $5 million settlement is a drop in the bucket compared to quarter after quarter of lost revenue.