The days when real risk lent a frisson of excitement to rides – wherever you rode them – is over. Today’s consumers want fun and thrills, but are looking for zero risk – guaranteed. All attractions must deliver this, even if it means changing the product to make it happen
By Liz Terry | Published in Attractions Management 2017 issue 2
News of the tragic death of an 11-year-old girl on a rapids ride at Drayton Manor Park has shocked an industry that is still reeling from the death of four people on a similar type of ride in Australia in October.
While both accidents are being investigated, it’s wrong to jump to conclusions about causes, but we know that things must change as a result. Clearly, the risk factor is too high.
Any ride involving ballistic movement or momentum creates forces which – if they are deflected – can cause a catapult effect, hurling riders in ways they find impossible to control. Add water, heavy machinery and people into the equation and another whole set of challenges emerges.
The time has come for such rides – if we continue to install them – to have seat belts or harnesses to avoid accidents occurring which relate to user behaviour. The investigation into the Australian accident, in which the raft tipped, must additionally lead to the introduction of design features which act to prevent that happening again.
This industry has worked hard to improve rider responsibility, and it’s very sensible and valid to encourage guests to follow guidelines while enjoying rides. However, we cannot harness our fortunes – and people’s lives – to the hope that riders will always behave exactly as we would have them do.
If theme parks are going to continue to thrive as an industry sector, then we need to step things up to a new level when it comes to all aspects of safety, from staff training to supervision, from ride design and specification to manufacturing and from ride maintenance to safety checks.
In the days before the internet and social media, some theme park accidents were hushed up. Compensation paid, the ride quietly dismantled and sold to another park on the other side of the world to be rebranded, and then the case closed.
Perhaps a health and safety investigation some time later would throw up a fine and a small flurry of newspaper coverage, but few accidents seriously impacted the business. It was a dark time in the history of our industry.
Today, fortunately, the world has moved on, and this kind of shadowy practice is no longer possible in most countries, nor deemed acceptable by anyone. The industry has grown up and in most places safety inspections and training are now transparent and professionally managed.
And yet as we have seen this May, there is still important work to do to achieve the level of safety which we as an industry and our customers expect.
People’s tolerance of risk has reached a point where any level is deemed totally unacceptable by the public. They want assurances that their time at attractions will be 100 per cent safe. That their children will be safe, no matter what.
So this is what we must make happen. We’re in the era of zero risk, when nothing else will do. It’s not acceptable for there to be any preventable accidents in theme parks.
And if we don’t step up and improve, then our customers will leave in droves and our businesses will fail, and rightly so. If we can’t keep our customers safe, we don’t deserve them.
Liz Terry, editor. Twitter: @elizterry
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The days when real risk lent a frisson of excitement to rides – wherever you rode them – is over. Today’s consumers want fun and thrills, but are looking for zero risk – guaranteed. All attractions must deliver this, even if it means changing the product to make it happen
By Liz Terry | Published in Attractions Management 2017 issue 2
News of the tragic death of an 11-year-old girl on a rapids ride at Drayton Manor Park has shocked an industry that is still reeling from the death of four people on a similar type of ride in Australia in October.
While both accidents are being investigated, it’s wrong to jump to conclusions about causes, but we know that things must change as a result. Clearly, the risk factor is too high.
Any ride involving ballistic movement or momentum creates forces which – if they are deflected – can cause a catapult effect, hurling riders in ways they find impossible to control. Add water, heavy machinery and people into the equation and another whole set of challenges emerges.
The time has come for such rides – if we continue to install them – to have seat belts or harnesses to avoid accidents occurring which relate to user behaviour. The investigation into the Australian accident, in which the raft tipped, must additionally lead to the introduction of design features which act to prevent that happening again.
This industry has worked hard to improve rider responsibility, and it’s very sensible and valid to encourage guests to follow guidelines while enjoying rides. However, we cannot harness our fortunes – and people’s lives – to the hope that riders will always behave exactly as we would have them do.
If theme parks are going to continue to thrive as an industry sector, then we need to step things up to a new level when it comes to all aspects of safety, from staff training to supervision, from ride design and specification to manufacturing and from ride maintenance to safety checks.
In the days before the internet and social media, some theme park accidents were hushed up. Compensation paid, the ride quietly dismantled and sold to another park on the other side of the world to be rebranded, and then the case closed.
Perhaps a health and safety investigation some time later would throw up a fine and a small flurry of newspaper coverage, but few accidents seriously impacted the business. It was a dark time in the history of our industry.
Today, fortunately, the world has moved on, and this kind of shadowy practice is no longer possible in most countries, nor deemed acceptable by anyone. The industry has grown up and in most places safety inspections and training are now transparent and professionally managed.
And yet as we have seen this May, there is still important work to do to achieve the level of safety which we as an industry and our customers expect.
People’s tolerance of risk has reached a point where any level is deemed totally unacceptable by the public. They want assurances that their time at attractions will be 100 per cent safe. That their children will be safe, no matter what.
So this is what we must make happen. We’re in the era of zero risk, when nothing else will do. It’s not acceptable for there to be any preventable accidents in theme parks.
And if we don’t step up and improve, then our customers will leave in droves and our businesses will fail, and rightly so. If we can’t keep our customers safe, we don’t deserve them.
Liz Terry, editor. Twitter: @elizterry
Read more from this issue of Spa Business magazine
Promotional feature: IDEATTACK
IDEATTACK is working on a magical destination resort in Hunan Province, China.
Founders Natasha Varnica and Dan Thomas walk us through the fairytale experience
Science centres: Sparks Fly
The Wolf Museum of Exploration +
Innovation (MOXI) is a brand new science
centre in Santa Barbara, with a refreshing
approach. CEO Steve Hinkley tells all
Theme parks: Speed Demons
PortAventura’s COO Mark Robinson on the
company’s latest investment – Ferrari Land
Promotional feature: Simworx
UK-based attractions manufacturer Simworx is building on its global
portfolio with a range of new projects in Dubai, China and Spain
Attractions: That’s the Spirit
Jameson’s visitor experience centre has
been revamped by BRC Imagination
Arts. Tom Anstey went to Dublin and
talked to the team about the project
Promotional feature: FORREC
FORREC has worked with some of the world’s
most recognisable characters and IPs. Here Steven Rhys
shares some tips on bringing those cherished worlds to life
Global Wellness Day (GWD) will mark 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.
Longevitix, a clinical platform for preventive and longevity medicine, has launched its AI-
powered intelligence system to help physicians deliver continuous, personalised longevity-
focused care at scale.
Atmantan Wellness Centre, an integrative wellness destination in Mulshi, near Pune in India, is
expanding its portfolio by adding a new centre in Hyderabad that will launch between 2028 and
2029.
A recent survey by the UK Spa Association (UKSA) into the industry’s approach to cancer care
has revealed that almost half of participating respondents (46 per cent) are unaware that
cancer is a disability and guests with a cancer diagnosis must be given
In the fast-paced world of fitness and wellness, where high-intensity workouts push us to
our limits and the sweat pours, the importance of efficient recovery cannot be overstated. [more...]
The Spa Life UK Convention returns from 21–23 June 2026 at Whittlebury Park Hotel, Spa &
Golf Resort, bringing together spa managers, directors and owners for two days of focused
education, meaningful connection and commercial insight. [more...]
+ More featured suppliers
COMPANY PROFILES
Pearl Tree Pearl Tree was established in 2014 by Soraya and
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personal w [more...]
