Waterpark season is here, and guests and owners are excited. This past year, owners and operators have learned a lot about reopening waterparks safely. Many are trying new things to spark excitement for guests while also ensuring staff is prepared for the crowds.
One way waterparks are creating a buzz is by adding attractions or renewing existing equipment. Others like Castaway Bay, an indoor, open waterpark in Sandusky, Ohio, won’t even reopen this year due to ongoing renovations.
How often should you refresh a waterpark?
Keeping attractions fresh is always a good strategy for waterparks owners. While adding a new ride or attraction may sound like the best idea, it might not always fit your budget. Often, an equally effective solution is just improving upon what you already have. Cost-effective renovations can include rebranding a ride, adding lighting or sound effects, new landscaping, or equipment repainting and resurfacing.
For example, water slides, the main attractions at waterparks, can become faded and look weather-beaten after years of sun exposure. A simple, economical way to breathe new life into them is by polishing and repainting surfaces. The result is old equipment that is vibrant, shiny, and looks brand new.
The best plan is to always budget for ongoing renovations. If you make room for continual renovations and address one project at a time, it’s more practical, and guests will appreciate the continual improvements. It also serves as good marketing material.
How do you know which areas to renovate first?
What areas are not working as well as you’d like them to now? Which equipment and areas are looking worn out and fading? Have you noticed once-popular spots no longer getting guest attention? How can we market these improvements? These questions can help you identify the priority of your renovation and refresh efforts.
How can you measure the ROI after a renovation?
It’s a challenge to connect a single attraction or renovation to an increase in revenue. However, if a newly renovated area is getting more traffic than pre-renovation, you can increase food and beverage sales and other stalls. You can also measure the attendance numbers after running a marketing campaign promoting the renovations.
Don’t forget about the fundamentals
Although there is a lot of energy and focus on safely reopening, refreshing, and renovating, owners and operators must still keep the potential for waterpark injuries and risk and liability at the forefront of opening efforts.
Whether it’s violence or slip and fall injuries, waterpark owners and operators always need a layer of protection for the unexpected. Contact McGowan Allied Specialty Insurance today to learn more.
