People profile: Anton Vidal
Anton Vidal is director general of Poble Espanyol which has completed a 10-year, €10m improvement plan
Interview: Coen Bertens
Fairytale theme park Efteling has
gone from strength to strength
during its 65-year history, enchanting
more visitors last year than
ever before. We talk to COO Coen
Bertens about its success
Promotional feature: EAS - Learning curves
This year’s Euro Attractions Show promises to
be the biggest in the history of the event, with
a brand new schedule of seminars to match
Aquariums: High Waters
We visited the brand new Aquatis
Aquarium-Vivarium in Switzerland
for a journey through our planet’s
freshwater environments
Promotional feature: nWave - The big picture
With more than two decades
of experience creating high quality
original content, nWave looks
ahead as it continues to produce
its own industry-leading creations
Analysis: TEA/AECOM Theme Index 2017
The TEA/AECOM Report 2017 shows major theme park
operators had an outstanding year, while stabilised global
economies and strong investment planning bodes well
for the global attractions industry going forward
Analysis: EMEA Focus
Margreet Papamichael, founder of CLEAR Associates about what The TEA/AECOM Report 2017 means for the EMEA region
Review: MuseumNext
Intellectuals from across the
museums sector gathered recently for
the European edition of MuseumNext
Theme parks: Playing the Looney Tune
As new and exciting leisure opportunities
increase in the Middle East, Yas
Island welcomes the US$1bn Warner
Bros World Abu Dhabi. We speak to
the two key members of the team
behind the landmark project
Museums: License to Thrill
A brand new James Bond visitor attraction,
nestled snugly inside a mountain peak
in Sölden, Austria, opened this July. We
talked to the operator and architect
Aryzon headset lets guests ‘view the sky as an expert’, says Jeremy Fontana null,National Geographic has teamed up with augmented reality provider Aryzon to create the world’s first open-air planetarium, using AR to project images into the night sky for a unique stargazing experience.
Recently installed at Au Diable Vert in Quebec, Canada, ‘ObservEtoiles’ allows up to 180 visitors to observe the night sky with a digital overlay showing the constellations and names of the stars and planets.
The Aryzon headset uses mirrors to project 3D mixed reality images. Using the device, visitors can observe a selection of 17th-century illustrations of the constellations overlaid over the real stars and planets, without obstructing viewers’ line of sight.
Users can keep the cardboard headset and use the app to explore the stars at home.
“We wanted to create a headset that would display the stars with augmented overlay without detracting from the night sky experience,” explains Aryzon CFO and co-founder Alexander Ceha.
The outdoor show will feature a “star guide”, who will narrate the experience with specially-created content from the “Night Sky Guy”, Andrew Fazekas – a science writer and consultant for the Canadian Space Agency.
“It’s been a really exciting project” says Jeremy Fontana, owner of Au Diable Vert and creator of ObservEtoiles. “You put the headset on and see the sky full of constellations. It lets you view the sky as an expert.”
Au Diable Vert has recently been certified as Quebec’s second Dark Sky Reserve, acknowledging efforts to remove light pollution from the area for clearer night skies.
attractions-kit keyword: ARYZON
Alexander Ceha, Aryzon
The virtual reality headset allows users to see constellations overlaid on the real night sky
The virtual reality headset allows users to see constellations overlaid on the real night sky
Play Disney Parks app represents how the guest experience can be enhanced by digital technology, says Vivek Sharma
Vivek Sharma, Disney
Disney is gamifying its park experience, releasing a new app to add a layer of interaction.
Available as a free download at both the Disneyland and Walt Disney World resorts, the ‘Play Disney Parks’ app has been created with group play in mind, offering visitors a new activity while waiting to ride its attractions.
Gamification of queue lines is a major part of the new application, with a number of interactive experiences available for select rides. At California Adventure, ‘Playset Party’ will be available for the Toy Story Mania ride.
The same ride at Hollywood Studios also offers the game, as well as ‘Andy’s Boardgame Blast!’ at the Slinky Dog Dash rollercoaster.
Peter Pan’s Flight and Space Mountain have gaming experiences called ‘Off to Neverland’ and ‘Rocket Race’ respectively, with the same rides and games on offer at both parks.
In addition, guests can earn, collect and share uniquely themed achievements, as well as rewards for playing games, answering trivia, completing challenges and experiencing select attractions.
“Play Disney Parks represents the next step in how we use innovative digital technology to enhance the guest experience in our parks,” says Vivek Sharma, senior vice president of Digital Guest Experience.
“The app is designed to help guests immerse themselves in the Disney stories they love.”
attractions-kit keyword: DISNEY
"Play Disney Parks represents the next step in how we use innovative digital technology to enhance the guest experience in our parks,” says Vivek Sharma, senior vice president of Digital Guest Experience."
The app is a first for Disney and is designed to enhance the existing park experience
Guests reach their musical potential with Acoustic Arts, says John Walls
John Walls, Acoustic Arts
Acoustic Arts, a UK-based manufacturer of outdoor percussion musical instruments, has launched a range of instruments that can be played using the whole body.
Part of the new collection is the company’s latest release, the Wobble Drum. Consisting of a shallow drum, mounted on a spring and anchored to the ground, the Wobble Drum is a sealed drum that contains bells, balls or rattles. Users stand on the drum, moving their hips or gently rocking from side to side to create a rhythm.
“Acoustic Arts’ products are designed to bring out people’s innate musical potential with an activity that combines creativity, rhythm and coordination,” says Acoustic Arts managing director, John Walls.
“This presents an exciting and fulfilling challenge on an individual level, the experience moves to another level when other people join in.”
Mounted in hand-built timber frames, the instruments are designed to provide fun, interactive experiences for visitors and can be installed as a standalone piece, or combined to create a dynamic musical play area.
attractions-kit keyword: ACOUSTIC ARTS
“Acoustic Arts’ products are designed to bring out people’s innate musical potential with an activity that combines creativity, rhythm and coordination,”
Acoustic Arts creates dynamic musical play areas for attractions
People profile: Anton Vidal
Anton Vidal is director general of Poble Espanyol which has completed a 10-year, €10m improvement plan
Interview: Coen Bertens
Fairytale theme park Efteling has
gone from strength to strength
during its 65-year history, enchanting
more visitors last year than
ever before. We talk to COO Coen
Bertens about its success
Promotional feature: EAS - Learning curves
This year’s Euro Attractions Show promises to
be the biggest in the history of the event, with
a brand new schedule of seminars to match
Aquariums: High Waters
We visited the brand new Aquatis
Aquarium-Vivarium in Switzerland
for a journey through our planet’s
freshwater environments
Promotional feature: nWave - The big picture
With more than two decades
of experience creating high quality
original content, nWave looks
ahead as it continues to produce
its own industry-leading creations
Analysis: TEA/AECOM Theme Index 2017
The TEA/AECOM Report 2017 shows major theme park
operators had an outstanding year, while stabilised global
economies and strong investment planning bodes well
for the global attractions industry going forward
Analysis: EMEA Focus
Margreet Papamichael, founder of CLEAR Associates about what The TEA/AECOM Report 2017 means for the EMEA region
Review: MuseumNext
Intellectuals from across the
museums sector gathered recently for
the European edition of MuseumNext
Theme parks: Playing the Looney Tune
As new and exciting leisure opportunities
increase in the Middle East, Yas
Island welcomes the US$1bn Warner
Bros World Abu Dhabi. We speak to
the two key members of the team
behind the landmark project
Museums: License to Thrill
A brand new James Bond visitor attraction,
nestled snugly inside a mountain peak
in Sölden, Austria, opened this July. We
talked to the operator and architect
Aryzon headset lets guests ‘view the sky as an expert’, says Jeremy Fontana null,National Geographic has teamed up with augmented reality provider Aryzon to create the world’s first open-air planetarium, using AR to project images into the night sky for a unique stargazing experience.
Recently installed at Au Diable Vert in Quebec, Canada, ‘ObservEtoiles’ allows up to 180 visitors to observe the night sky with a digital overlay showing the constellations and names of the stars and planets.
The Aryzon headset uses mirrors to project 3D mixed reality images. Using the device, visitors can observe a selection of 17th-century illustrations of the constellations overlaid over the real stars and planets, without obstructing viewers’ line of sight.
Users can keep the cardboard headset and use the app to explore the stars at home.
“We wanted to create a headset that would display the stars with augmented overlay without detracting from the night sky experience,” explains Aryzon CFO and co-founder Alexander Ceha.
The outdoor show will feature a “star guide”, who will narrate the experience with specially-created content from the “Night Sky Guy”, Andrew Fazekas – a science writer and consultant for the Canadian Space Agency.
“It’s been a really exciting project” says Jeremy Fontana, owner of Au Diable Vert and creator of ObservEtoiles. “You put the headset on and see the sky full of constellations. It lets you view the sky as an expert.”
Au Diable Vert has recently been certified as Quebec’s second Dark Sky Reserve, acknowledging efforts to remove light pollution from the area for clearer night skies.
attractions-kit keyword: ARYZON
Alexander Ceha, Aryzon
The virtual reality headset allows users to see constellations overlaid on the real night sky
The virtual reality headset allows users to see constellations overlaid on the real night sky
Play Disney Parks app represents how the guest experience can be enhanced by digital technology, says Vivek Sharma
Vivek Sharma, Disney
Disney is gamifying its park experience, releasing a new app to add a layer of interaction.
Available as a free download at both the Disneyland and Walt Disney World resorts, the ‘Play Disney Parks’ app has been created with group play in mind, offering visitors a new activity while waiting to ride its attractions.
Gamification of queue lines is a major part of the new application, with a number of interactive experiences available for select rides. At California Adventure, ‘Playset Party’ will be available for the Toy Story Mania ride.
The same ride at Hollywood Studios also offers the game, as well as ‘Andy’s Boardgame Blast!’ at the Slinky Dog Dash rollercoaster.
Peter Pan’s Flight and Space Mountain have gaming experiences called ‘Off to Neverland’ and ‘Rocket Race’ respectively, with the same rides and games on offer at both parks.
In addition, guests can earn, collect and share uniquely themed achievements, as well as rewards for playing games, answering trivia, completing challenges and experiencing select attractions.
“Play Disney Parks represents the next step in how we use innovative digital technology to enhance the guest experience in our parks,” says Vivek Sharma, senior vice president of Digital Guest Experience.
“The app is designed to help guests immerse themselves in the Disney stories they love.”
attractions-kit keyword: DISNEY
"Play Disney Parks represents the next step in how we use innovative digital technology to enhance the guest experience in our parks,” says Vivek Sharma, senior vice president of Digital Guest Experience."
The app is a first for Disney and is designed to enhance the existing park experience
Guests reach their musical potential with Acoustic Arts, says John Walls
John Walls, Acoustic Arts
Acoustic Arts, a UK-based manufacturer of outdoor percussion musical instruments, has launched a range of instruments that can be played using the whole body.
Part of the new collection is the company’s latest release, the Wobble Drum. Consisting of a shallow drum, mounted on a spring and anchored to the ground, the Wobble Drum is a sealed drum that contains bells, balls or rattles. Users stand on the drum, moving their hips or gently rocking from side to side to create a rhythm.
“Acoustic Arts’ products are designed to bring out people’s innate musical potential with an activity that combines creativity, rhythm and coordination,” says Acoustic Arts managing director, John Walls.
“This presents an exciting and fulfilling challenge on an individual level, the experience moves to another level when other people join in.”
Mounted in hand-built timber frames, the instruments are designed to provide fun, interactive experiences for visitors and can be installed as a standalone piece, or combined to create a dynamic musical play area.
attractions-kit keyword: ACOUSTIC ARTS
“Acoustic Arts’ products are designed to bring out people’s innate musical potential with an activity that combines creativity, rhythm and coordination,”
Acoustic Arts creates dynamic musical play areas for attractions
The UK spa review and discovery platform for consumers, the Good Spa Guide, has announced
it will host the Good Spa Guide Awards 2026 during an event on 16 November at Sopwell House
Hotel in St Albans, UK.
Eighty-four per cent of consumers now say wellness is a top priority in their lives, with this
percentage increasing year on year, according to a preview presentation of McKinsey’s Future of
Wellness 2026 research report.
Mass protests have been taking place since Monday 1 June in Albania over the development of
a luxury resort by Donald Trump’s daughter Ivanka Trump and her husband Jared Kushner.
Global Wellness Day (GWD) marked its 15th anniversary on Saturday 13 June 2026, with the
theme: #JoyMagenta – a celebration of the healing qualities of simple gestures and activities
that spark joy.
Global luxury hospitality brand, Six Senses, has partnered with longevity healthcare provider,
HUM2N, to launch a clinic at Six Senses London, at The Whiteley.
As part of its first hotel partnership, Mayrlife – the medical health resort company known for its
site in Altaussee, Austria – has launched a day clinic at the Rosewood Vienna.
Premium London health club, KX Chelsea, will imminently unveil its most significant
redevelopment since its launch in 2002 to create an integrated wellness model combining
training, recovery and relaxation.
Rosewood Le Guanahani St Barth, on the northeast coast of Saint Barthélemy in the French
West Indies, is offering a programme of ocean-inspired yoga classes between 8-14 June to
celebrate Global Wellness Day (GWD).
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.
The Ritz-Carlton, Langkawi, in Malaysia, has revealed a schedule for Global Wellness Day
(GWD) that includes guided rainforest walks, mindful movement and guided coastal meditation
experiences.
