Despite ongoing challenges, it feels as though the industry is ready to move forwards. Now’s the time to take forward the risk-taking and creativity of the past couple of years
Interesting partnerships are driving the industry / Photo: Historic Royal Palaces / Richard Lea-Hair
In September, I attended IAAPA Expo Europe, and saw the energy and excitement of an industry that’s daring to think big again after the difficulties of the past two and a half years.
Many attractions are still grappling with the longer term consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic of course. Visitor numbers are still down for many, particularly those that rely heavily on overseas visitors, and it will take a long time for many businesses to repair their balance sheets. Just as we’re emerging from the pandemic, the cost of living crisis and petrol prices are forcing consumers to think carefully about their leisure spend, and operators have been hit by rising energy costs.
There’s no doubt though, that there was a real feeling of optimism in the air at IAAPA Expo Europe, with operators announcing major projects and developments.
You can’t go forwards without looking back though. For this issue, I interviewed Bernard Donoghue, CEO of the Association of Leading Visitor Attractions. Donoghue has done an amazing job of leading the UK attractions industry through the pandemic, lobbying government, providing advice and clarity for the sector and commissioning and sharing invaluable research.
It’s been a difficult, traumatic couple of years, but as Donoghue points out, it has also allowed organisations to take risks, with some amazing results.
Organisations have been bold, and got creative with partnerships.
Donoghue points to Historic Royal Palaces teaming up with family-friendly Bestival with its Tudors on Tour event – reaching a different audience and telling its story in a different way. He also highlights open air museum Beamish teaming up with department store Fenwicks to sell old fashioned sweets made at the museum.
The Louvre has partnered with Airbnb to offer a series of special experiences, including a ‘once in a lifetime’ overnight stay at the museum, and this year has auctioned time alone with the Mona Lisa and a walk along its historic rooftop to bring in much-needed funds and try to drive up visitor numbers after drops of up to 75 per cent due to lockdowns.
The pandemic has forced organisations to get truly creative in order to survive. The way ahead is surely to keep hold of that bold, risk-taking spirit as we move forward.
Magali Robathan, editor
Read more from this issue of Spa Business magazine
Profile: Bernard Donoghue
When COVID-19 hit, ALVA’s CEO stepped up. He talks us through lobbying government, getting results and supporting the sector through incredibly tough times
Museums: Long walk for freedom
As architects BIG unveil their designs for the National Juneteenth Museum in Texas, partner Douglass Alligood tells us why it’s one of the most important projects of his career
Theme Parks: Lotte World – on a roll
More than 30 years on from the opening of the highly successful Lotte World theme park in Seoul, we take a look at its new sister park
Show review: IAAPA Expo Europe
The industry came together in London to meet, celebrate and plan. We round up some of the show’s highlights
Museums: Going global
Taking a museum or attraction’s retail offer international can have profound and sometimes surprising results, says retail design expert Callum Lumsden
Immersive experience: Stranger & Stranger
Netflix has partnered with live entertainment discovery platform Fever to launch a Stranger Things immersive experience, and it’s proving popular
Research: Time to celebrate
Are celebration and special events worth the investment for attractions? Kathleen LeClair looks at the numbers
Theme Parks: Creating the magic
Disney Imagineers have shared some of the secrets that went into creating the long-awaited Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind attraction at EPCOT
Despite ongoing challenges, it feels as though the industry is ready to move forwards. Now’s the time to take forward the risk-taking and creativity of the past couple of years
Interesting partnerships are driving the industry / Photo: Historic Royal Palaces / Richard Lea-Hair
In September, I attended IAAPA Expo Europe, and saw the energy and excitement of an industry that’s daring to think big again after the difficulties of the past two and a half years.
Many attractions are still grappling with the longer term consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic of course. Visitor numbers are still down for many, particularly those that rely heavily on overseas visitors, and it will take a long time for many businesses to repair their balance sheets. Just as we’re emerging from the pandemic, the cost of living crisis and petrol prices are forcing consumers to think carefully about their leisure spend, and operators have been hit by rising energy costs.
There’s no doubt though, that there was a real feeling of optimism in the air at IAAPA Expo Europe, with operators announcing major projects and developments.
You can’t go forwards without looking back though. For this issue, I interviewed Bernard Donoghue, CEO of the Association of Leading Visitor Attractions. Donoghue has done an amazing job of leading the UK attractions industry through the pandemic, lobbying government, providing advice and clarity for the sector and commissioning and sharing invaluable research.
It’s been a difficult, traumatic couple of years, but as Donoghue points out, it has also allowed organisations to take risks, with some amazing results.
Organisations have been bold, and got creative with partnerships.
Donoghue points to Historic Royal Palaces teaming up with family-friendly Bestival with its Tudors on Tour event – reaching a different audience and telling its story in a different way. He also highlights open air museum Beamish teaming up with department store Fenwicks to sell old fashioned sweets made at the museum.
The Louvre has partnered with Airbnb to offer a series of special experiences, including a ‘once in a lifetime’ overnight stay at the museum, and this year has auctioned time alone with the Mona Lisa and a walk along its historic rooftop to bring in much-needed funds and try to drive up visitor numbers after drops of up to 75 per cent due to lockdowns.
The pandemic has forced organisations to get truly creative in order to survive. The way ahead is surely to keep hold of that bold, risk-taking spirit as we move forward.
Magali Robathan, editor
Read more from this issue of Spa Business magazine
Profile: Bernard Donoghue
When COVID-19 hit, ALVA’s CEO stepped up. He talks us through lobbying government, getting results and supporting the sector through incredibly tough times
Museums: Long walk for freedom
As architects BIG unveil their designs for the National Juneteenth Museum in Texas, partner Douglass Alligood tells us why it’s one of the most important projects of his career
Theme Parks: Lotte World – on a roll
More than 30 years on from the opening of the highly successful Lotte World theme park in Seoul, we take a look at its new sister park
Show review: IAAPA Expo Europe
The industry came together in London to meet, celebrate and plan. We round up some of the show’s highlights
Museums: Going global
Taking a museum or attraction’s retail offer international can have profound and sometimes surprising results, says retail design expert Callum Lumsden
Immersive experience: Stranger & Stranger
Netflix has partnered with live entertainment discovery platform Fever to launch a Stranger Things immersive experience, and it’s proving popular
Research: Time to celebrate
Are celebration and special events worth the investment for attractions? Kathleen LeClair looks at the numbers
Theme Parks: Creating the magic
Disney Imagineers have shared some of the secrets that went into creating the long-awaited Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind attraction at EPCOT
The Standards Authority for Touch in Cancer Care (SATCC) charity has announced its first five-
day Living with Cancer and Beyond retreat, which will be held at Carden Park Hotel and Spa in
Cheshire, UK, between 1 and 5 September.
Patmos Aktis, a Luxury Collection Resort and Spa, has opened in Greece, with a renovated and
rebranded wellness offering called Ansana Wellness and Spa.
The Mauna Kea Beach Hotel, an Autograph Collection property in Hawaii, US, has opened its
22,000 sq ft indoor-outdoor Spa at Mauna Kea as the final step in the property’s overall
renovation, which has cost more than US$180 million (€166 million, £140 mill
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.
