Last year I took a trip to the Queen’s Gallery at Buckingham Palace in London to see Leonardo, Anatomist, an exhibition of the work of Leonardo da Vinci and the largest ever of his studies of the human body.
You can never be sure how you’re going to react to things until they happen, but I was excited and moved to be in the presence of so many original pieces of work by this extraordinary man. The thought that his hands had held the parchments and created the models was mesmerising.
This engagement was possible because we know so much about Leonardo as a person and the interpretation and curation of the exhibition reflected it.
The sense of excitement you get when you make a connection with something authentic is most powerful when that connection is also with another human being and it’s this which can make the difference between a good visitor experience and a great one.
Having authenticity and human engagement at the heart of an attraction creates an energy which ensures it’s success and in this issue we examine two new visitor attractions – the recently opened NASA Space Shuttle Atlantis Exhibit at the Kennedy Space Station in Florida, US (page 44) and the Mary Rose in Portsmouth UK, the museum which tells the story of the life and times of Henry VIII’s battleship (page 52).
Both these new attractions concern themselves with stories of human endeavour and adventuring – both represented cutting edge technology in the eras from which they came – and both engage the emotions through the stories they tell of the people who were involved and the authenticity of the artefacts which are on display.
At the Kennedy Space Station, the humanising of the story is continued by docents who worked on the construction of the space shuttles and are there to tell their stories – one explained to me that she’d been part of the team that stitched the fabric wadding which lines the engines. The idea that you can sew a space shuttle was fascinating and unexpected. Visits from astronauts are also arranged to enable visitors to meet the people who made it happen.
At the Mary Rose, one focus has been on telling the stories of the people who lived on board the ship and displaying the possessions they had on board with them the fateful day she sank – this approach makes the whole experience so much more than a dry collection of artefacts.
Connecting with people across time and feeling a sense of authenticity are two key differences that transform a visitor experience and elevate it above a dry and dusty collection which gives no idea as to who conceived and made the majority of items on display.
Liz Terry, editor, twitter: @elizterry
Read more from this issue of Spa Business magazine
View contents of Spa Business 2013 issue 3
Editor's letter: Authenticity
Having authenticity and human engagement at the heart of an attraction
creates an energy which ensures its success
Profile: Terri Irwin
The conservationist, social entrepreneur
and operator of Australia Zoo describes
how she and her late husband, Steve,
built up their business and how she and
her children are continuing his legacy
Analysis: Riding High
The TEA/AECOM theme index report
for 2012 shows that the industry's
continuing to do well with recordbreaking
attendances for many parks
Waterparks: Tapping the experts
The merging of waterparks and theme
parks, shared experiences and multiple
sensation rides are among the trends,
as we find out from the operators
Top Team: Class act
The first themed entertainment design
degree launched last September at SCAD.
The team behind the programme describe
their inspiration and the challenges
Space centre: Space age
Space Shuttle Atlantis has come home
to rest at Kennedy Space Centre Visitor
Complex. COO Bill Moore tells us how
people react when they see the shuttle
Mystery shopper: The cat's whiskers?
Sanrio Hello Kitty Town is among the
attractions at the new Puteri Harbour
Family Theme Park in Malaysia. We pay
a visit to learn more about the offer
Heritage: Mary Rose Museum
King Henry VIII's war ship is brought
back to life in an exciting new museum,
which takes visitors back to the day
she sank, almost 500 years ago
Design project profile: All hands on deck
Mary Rose Museum's design team
tell us how they created a building
that complemented, but didn't
compete with, the famous ship and
the challenges of working around
the hot box it's being conserved in
3D/4D/5D: Work dimension
We find out how film distributors work
with operators and look at some of
the new products that are available
on the market for attractions
Show preview: EAS 2013
The suppliers reveal the products and
projects they'll be showcasing in Paris
Last year I took a trip to the Queen’s Gallery at Buckingham Palace in London to see Leonardo, Anatomist, an exhibition of the work of Leonardo da Vinci and the largest ever of his studies of the human body.
You can never be sure how you’re going to react to things until they happen, but I was excited and moved to be in the presence of so many original pieces of work by this extraordinary man. The thought that his hands had held the parchments and created the models was mesmerising.
This engagement was possible because we know so much about Leonardo as a person and the interpretation and curation of the exhibition reflected it.
The sense of excitement you get when you make a connection with something authentic is most powerful when that connection is also with another human being and it’s this which can make the difference between a good visitor experience and a great one.
Having authenticity and human engagement at the heart of an attraction creates an energy which ensures it’s success and in this issue we examine two new visitor attractions – the recently opened NASA Space Shuttle Atlantis Exhibit at the Kennedy Space Station in Florida, US (page 44) and the Mary Rose in Portsmouth UK, the museum which tells the story of the life and times of Henry VIII’s battleship (page 52).
Both these new attractions concern themselves with stories of human endeavour and adventuring – both represented cutting edge technology in the eras from which they came – and both engage the emotions through the stories they tell of the people who were involved and the authenticity of the artefacts which are on display.
At the Kennedy Space Station, the humanising of the story is continued by docents who worked on the construction of the space shuttles and are there to tell their stories – one explained to me that she’d been part of the team that stitched the fabric wadding which lines the engines. The idea that you can sew a space shuttle was fascinating and unexpected. Visits from astronauts are also arranged to enable visitors to meet the people who made it happen.
At the Mary Rose, one focus has been on telling the stories of the people who lived on board the ship and displaying the possessions they had on board with them the fateful day she sank – this approach makes the whole experience so much more than a dry collection of artefacts.
Connecting with people across time and feeling a sense of authenticity are two key differences that transform a visitor experience and elevate it above a dry and dusty collection which gives no idea as to who conceived and made the majority of items on display.
Liz Terry, editor, twitter: @elizterry
Read more from this issue of Spa Business magazine
View contents of Spa Business 2013 issue 3
Editor's letter: Authenticity
Having authenticity and human engagement at the heart of an attraction
creates an energy which ensures its success
Profile: Terri Irwin
The conservationist, social entrepreneur
and operator of Australia Zoo describes
how she and her late husband, Steve,
built up their business and how she and
her children are continuing his legacy
Analysis: Riding High
The TEA/AECOM theme index report
for 2012 shows that the industry's
continuing to do well with recordbreaking
attendances for many parks
Waterparks: Tapping the experts
The merging of waterparks and theme
parks, shared experiences and multiple
sensation rides are among the trends,
as we find out from the operators
Top Team: Class act
The first themed entertainment design
degree launched last September at SCAD.
The team behind the programme describe
their inspiration and the challenges
Space centre: Space age
Space Shuttle Atlantis has come home
to rest at Kennedy Space Centre Visitor
Complex. COO Bill Moore tells us how
people react when they see the shuttle
Mystery shopper: The cat's whiskers?
Sanrio Hello Kitty Town is among the
attractions at the new Puteri Harbour
Family Theme Park in Malaysia. We pay
a visit to learn more about the offer
Heritage: Mary Rose Museum
King Henry VIII's war ship is brought
back to life in an exciting new museum,
which takes visitors back to the day
she sank, almost 500 years ago
Design project profile: All hands on deck
Mary Rose Museum's design team
tell us how they created a building
that complemented, but didn't
compete with, the famous ship and
the challenges of working around
the hot box it's being conserved in
3D/4D/5D: Work dimension
We find out how film distributors work
with operators and look at some of
the new products that are available
on the market for attractions
Show preview: EAS 2013
The suppliers reveal the products and
projects they'll be showcasing in Paris
The International Spa Association (ISPA) has published its full 2026 US Spa Industry Study,
providing further insights into the region’s total US$1 billion (€855 million, £780 million)
industry revenue increase from 2024 to 2025.
Ameyalli, the 78-acre wellbeing resort and residential community in Midway in Utah, US, has
broken ground on phase two of the hot spring development – the Ameyalli Resort and Spa –
which is due to open in 2028.
TLee Spas and Wellness has revealed the design concept for a high-tech spa with body
mapping scanners to improve public health, for AI company Midjourney.
Gran Hotel Taoro in northern Tenerife, Spain, has completed the final phase of its three-year
renovation with the debut of its Sandára Wellness Centre.
Hand and Stone Massage and Facial Spa, the spa business with more than 650 locations across
the US and Canada, has appointed franchise expert Carrie Walsh as CEO as the company plans
to expand.
Synergy – The Retreat Show, the global trade show for retreats, has launched a global research
initiative that will provide insights into the retreat sector from both consumer and industry
perspectives.
The Wellness Tourism Association (WTA) has published a non-regulatory global industry
framework designed to ensure the retreat market offers responsible experiences.
A new survey of UK and international spa practitioners shows that stress, burnout and
wellbeing concerns have caused one in three respondents to consider leaving the industry.
The UK's four Chief Medical Officers have published a refreshed edition of Physical activity
guidelines: UK Chief Medical Officers' report, updating the evidence that underpins the nation's
physical activity recommendations and placing greater emphasis on strength, balance, reducing
sedentary behaviour and, for the first time, supporting people taking weight loss medications.
