People profile: Damien Hirst
Turner Prize-winning artist Damien Hirst exhibits a series of spot paintings and huge sculptures at a Norfolk stately home
People profile: Penka Kouneva
Movie and video game composer Penka Kouneva moves into the world of attractions with the Heroes and Legends exhibit and VR installations
Industry Opinion: Zoos & Aquariums
WAZA’s Sabrina Brando on providing animals with opportunities for choices, stimulating environments and enriching activities
Interview: Sultan Al Dhaheri
With the launch of Warner Bros World and
the Louvre in Abu Dhabi, the Department
of Culture and Tourism’s Sultan Al Dhaheri
explains how investing in attractions is
helping the emirate meet its tourism goals
Animal sanctuaries: Paws for Thought
The UK’s Big Cat Sanctuary is the subject
of a recent BBC documentary. Managing
director Giles Clark explains how the
facility works – and introduces Maya
the jaguar and Willow the cheetah
Science Centres: Getting Engaged
Researchers Dr Amy Seakins and
Dr Heather King explain how science
capital empowers science centres
to engage wider audiences in STEM,
plus European initiatives in action
Digital art: Light Fantastic
Tokyo-based digital art collective teamLab is
on a mission to change the way we interact
with and experience art. Magali Robathan
reports on the group’s installation work
and their upcoming museum launch
INTAMIN Yukon Quad Parc Le Pal France At the beginning of April, Parc Le Pal in Saint-Pourçain-sur-Besbre, France, launched its biggest ever attraction, Yukon Quad. Themed like a string of all-terrain vehicles, Intamin’s Family Launch Coaster covers a whole kilometre of track.
With ride theming creating a journey through a wild Canadian landscape, the quads launch at speeds of 65kph, with riders experiencing a G-force of up to 3G. The rollercoaster travels up, drops down, and winds its way along close to the ground, intensifying the feeling of speed. The coaster’s second launch reaches almost 90kph, following a series of tight bends and hills and an S-hump before the ride comes to an end.
“We’ve invested 10 million euros in this new attraction, that is to say 50 per cent of our turnover from 2017,” Parc Le Pal CEO Arnaud Bennet told local press. “That’s 5 million euros more than Twist, our most expensive attraction, built in 2011. So, we hope for a nice return on investment. Thanks to Yukon, we are expecting 50,000 additional visitors this year.”
The ride uses Intamin’s cutting-edge friction wheel drive system and features an upright seating position. It’s one of only three coasters of its kind in the world.
North Canada’s wilderness inspired
the ride theming
North Canada’s wilderness inspired
the ride theming
MACK RIDES TIME TRAVELLER Silver Dollar City Branson, Missouri Time Traveller, billed as the world’s fastest, steepest and tallest spinning coaster, delivers 360-degree controlled spins as the vehicle moves, meaning every ride experience is different from the last.
The Herschend-owned and run theme park invested of $26m in the new double launch ride, and in return is able to boast an attraction with top speeds of 80kph, a 10-storey, 90-degree vertical drop, a top height of 30 metres; and a dive loop, vertical loop and a zero-G roll making up its three inversions. The 920-metre track crosses over itself 14 times in total.
“This coaster’s state-of-the-art controlled spin provides riders a unique thrill experience while still appealing to families,” says Brad Thomas, president of Silver Dollar City Attractions. “Time Traveller is a revolutionary coaster ahead of its time.”
Time Traveller starts with an immediate, out-of-the-station,
gravity-driven 90-degree drop
Time Traveller starts with an immediate, out-of-the-station,
gravity-driven 90-degree drop
Time Traveller starts with an immediate, out-of-the-station,
gravity-driven 90-degree drop
GREAT COASTERS INT. Wicker Man Alton Towers Alton, UK Alton Towers’ highly anticipated Wicker Man ride opened in March, the theme park’s first wooden coaster, which boasts a six-storey flaming centrepiece and is the first such ride to combine wood and fire effects.
Operator Merlin Entertainments used Great Coasters International to build and install the £16m ride. Holovis created the pre-show and queue line, which feature extensive theming and elaborate projection mapping, while Picsolve supplied the photo-capture solution.
“We started to come up with themes that made the most of wood as a material,” says Bradley Wynne, creative lead at Merlin Magic Making. “We thought it was interesting that people really love that combination of wood and fire and so we began to think about how we could recreate that somehow in a safe way. That was the challenge – how to set a wooden coaster on fire and for it to be safe.”
The 618-metre wooden coaster features a blazing 20-metre-tall wicker man that bursts into flames on three occasions during the course of the ride. Featuring a lift hill and 22-metre drop, the ride lasts about three and a half minutes.
Wicker Man also has a themed area around the attraction, with a shop, games unit and kiosk
Wicker Man also has a themed area around the attraction, with a shop, games unit and kiosk
Wicker Man also has a themed area around the attraction, with a shop, games unit and kiosk
MACK RIDES ICON Blackpool Pleasure Beach Blackpool, UK Mack Rides’ ICON – the UK’s first ever double launch rollercoaster – opened in May, marking a £16m investment for Blackpool Pleasure Beach in north England.
Riders board copper gold carriages, crafted from German steel, and are fired out of a tunnel, with the layout of the rollercoaster navigating in and out of the theme park’s other rides multiple times. The 1.14km grey steel track boasts a high point of 27 metres, with drops of up to 25 metres.
“We have been on an incredible journey building this rollercoaster, seeing its towering presence on the park and entwining with some of our most popular rides. It really has been epic,” says Amanda Thompson, the attraction’s managing director. “It’s a smooth but exhilarating ride like no other rollercoaster in the world.”
German steel is manufactured using cutting-edge engineering processes for a smoother ride
ZAMPERLA Thunderchariot Discovery Kingdom Dalian, China Italian ride maker Zamperla recently opened its third Thunderbolt coaster, at Haichang’s Dalian Discovery Kingdom in Liaoning province, China. The rollercoaster follows a fairytale theme inkeeping with the design of the area in park.
Named Thunderchariot by Dalian Discovery Kingdom, riders traverse the 675-metre track in one of four, nine-seater vehicles, reaching speeds of up to 85kph. Zamperla has installed its Thunderbolt ride at Luna Park, New York, and OWA theme park in Foley, Alabama. A fourth is to open at Mason Robotland in South Korea.
Thunderchariot is the third of Zamperla’s Thunderbolt installations
Thunderchariot is the third of Zamperla’s Thunderbolt installations
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the softness of towels and the freshness of linens. [more...]
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People profile: Damien Hirst
Turner Prize-winning artist Damien Hirst exhibits a series of spot paintings and huge sculptures at a Norfolk stately home
People profile: Penka Kouneva
Movie and video game composer Penka Kouneva moves into the world of attractions with the Heroes and Legends exhibit and VR installations
Industry Opinion: Zoos & Aquariums
WAZA’s Sabrina Brando on providing animals with opportunities for choices, stimulating environments and enriching activities
Interview: Sultan Al Dhaheri
With the launch of Warner Bros World and
the Louvre in Abu Dhabi, the Department
of Culture and Tourism’s Sultan Al Dhaheri
explains how investing in attractions is
helping the emirate meet its tourism goals
Animal sanctuaries: Paws for Thought
The UK’s Big Cat Sanctuary is the subject
of a recent BBC documentary. Managing
director Giles Clark explains how the
facility works – and introduces Maya
the jaguar and Willow the cheetah
Science Centres: Getting Engaged
Researchers Dr Amy Seakins and
Dr Heather King explain how science
capital empowers science centres
to engage wider audiences in STEM,
plus European initiatives in action
Digital art: Light Fantastic
Tokyo-based digital art collective teamLab is
on a mission to change the way we interact
with and experience art. Magali Robathan
reports on the group’s installation work
and their upcoming museum launch
INTAMIN Yukon Quad Parc Le Pal France At the beginning of April, Parc Le Pal in Saint-Pourçain-sur-Besbre, France, launched its biggest ever attraction, Yukon Quad. Themed like a string of all-terrain vehicles, Intamin’s Family Launch Coaster covers a whole kilometre of track.
With ride theming creating a journey through a wild Canadian landscape, the quads launch at speeds of 65kph, with riders experiencing a G-force of up to 3G. The rollercoaster travels up, drops down, and winds its way along close to the ground, intensifying the feeling of speed. The coaster’s second launch reaches almost 90kph, following a series of tight bends and hills and an S-hump before the ride comes to an end.
“We’ve invested 10 million euros in this new attraction, that is to say 50 per cent of our turnover from 2017,” Parc Le Pal CEO Arnaud Bennet told local press. “That’s 5 million euros more than Twist, our most expensive attraction, built in 2011. So, we hope for a nice return on investment. Thanks to Yukon, we are expecting 50,000 additional visitors this year.”
The ride uses Intamin’s cutting-edge friction wheel drive system and features an upright seating position. It’s one of only three coasters of its kind in the world.
North Canada’s wilderness inspired
the ride theming
North Canada’s wilderness inspired
the ride theming
MACK RIDES TIME TRAVELLER Silver Dollar City Branson, Missouri Time Traveller, billed as the world’s fastest, steepest and tallest spinning coaster, delivers 360-degree controlled spins as the vehicle moves, meaning every ride experience is different from the last.
The Herschend-owned and run theme park invested of $26m in the new double launch ride, and in return is able to boast an attraction with top speeds of 80kph, a 10-storey, 90-degree vertical drop, a top height of 30 metres; and a dive loop, vertical loop and a zero-G roll making up its three inversions. The 920-metre track crosses over itself 14 times in total.
“This coaster’s state-of-the-art controlled spin provides riders a unique thrill experience while still appealing to families,” says Brad Thomas, president of Silver Dollar City Attractions. “Time Traveller is a revolutionary coaster ahead of its time.”
Time Traveller starts with an immediate, out-of-the-station,
gravity-driven 90-degree drop
Time Traveller starts with an immediate, out-of-the-station,
gravity-driven 90-degree drop
Time Traveller starts with an immediate, out-of-the-station,
gravity-driven 90-degree drop
GREAT COASTERS INT. Wicker Man Alton Towers Alton, UK Alton Towers’ highly anticipated Wicker Man ride opened in March, the theme park’s first wooden coaster, which boasts a six-storey flaming centrepiece and is the first such ride to combine wood and fire effects.
Operator Merlin Entertainments used Great Coasters International to build and install the £16m ride. Holovis created the pre-show and queue line, which feature extensive theming and elaborate projection mapping, while Picsolve supplied the photo-capture solution.
“We started to come up with themes that made the most of wood as a material,” says Bradley Wynne, creative lead at Merlin Magic Making. “We thought it was interesting that people really love that combination of wood and fire and so we began to think about how we could recreate that somehow in a safe way. That was the challenge – how to set a wooden coaster on fire and for it to be safe.”
The 618-metre wooden coaster features a blazing 20-metre-tall wicker man that bursts into flames on three occasions during the course of the ride. Featuring a lift hill and 22-metre drop, the ride lasts about three and a half minutes.
Wicker Man also has a themed area around the attraction, with a shop, games unit and kiosk
Wicker Man also has a themed area around the attraction, with a shop, games unit and kiosk
Wicker Man also has a themed area around the attraction, with a shop, games unit and kiosk
MACK RIDES ICON Blackpool Pleasure Beach Blackpool, UK Mack Rides’ ICON – the UK’s first ever double launch rollercoaster – opened in May, marking a £16m investment for Blackpool Pleasure Beach in north England.
Riders board copper gold carriages, crafted from German steel, and are fired out of a tunnel, with the layout of the rollercoaster navigating in and out of the theme park’s other rides multiple times. The 1.14km grey steel track boasts a high point of 27 metres, with drops of up to 25 metres.
“We have been on an incredible journey building this rollercoaster, seeing its towering presence on the park and entwining with some of our most popular rides. It really has been epic,” says Amanda Thompson, the attraction’s managing director. “It’s a smooth but exhilarating ride like no other rollercoaster in the world.”
German steel is manufactured using cutting-edge engineering processes for a smoother ride
ZAMPERLA Thunderchariot Discovery Kingdom Dalian, China Italian ride maker Zamperla recently opened its third Thunderbolt coaster, at Haichang’s Dalian Discovery Kingdom in Liaoning province, China. The rollercoaster follows a fairytale theme inkeeping with the design of the area in park.
Named Thunderchariot by Dalian Discovery Kingdom, riders traverse the 675-metre track in one of four, nine-seater vehicles, reaching speeds of up to 85kph. Zamperla has installed its Thunderbolt ride at Luna Park, New York, and OWA theme park in Foley, Alabama. A fourth is to open at Mason Robotland in South Korea.
Thunderchariot is the third of Zamperla’s Thunderbolt installations
Thunderchariot is the third of Zamperla’s Thunderbolt installations
Mexican operator, Solmar Hotels and Resorts, is hosting a series of events in celebration of
Global Wellness Day, including a Temazcal ceremony at its Playa Grande Resort and Spa in Los
Cabos.
Mandarin Oriental has announced a standalone residence brand, Mansions, which will debut at
Emirates Palace, Mandarin Oriental Mansions, Abu Dhabi, in 2029.
Four Seasons Resort The Nam Hai in Hoi An, Vietnam, has put together a Global Wellness Day
(GWD) agenda with activations rooted in nature and shaped by four pillars of Joy – in
alignment with the day’s theme #JoyMagenta.
The Global Wellness Summit (GWS) will celebrate its 20th anniversary at the 2026 event in
Phuket, Thailand, later this year with the theme: The Science, Art and Soul of Wellness.
Auko, an all-inclusive development, is opening in Phong Nha in Vietnam in Q3 2026, with a
series of 30 tented eco-lodges and wellness hospitality operations by Lumina Wellbeing.
Therme Manchester’s 28-acre development, which will include interconnected glass pavilions
that measure 65,000sq m, will be the largest bathing and wellbeing attraction in the world once
complete, according to prof David Russell, CEO of Therme UK.
Naples Beach Club, a Four Seasons Resort, has opened a 2,800sq m spa called The Sanctuary,
with the design and concept inspired by the Native American people that populated Florida’s
Southwest coast – the Calusa.
Swire Hotels’ luxury hospitality brand Upper House has revealed it will roll out its two-day
House of Healing retreats at its three hotels in Hong Kong, Chengdu and Shanghai.
LVMH-owned beauty house Guerlain will launch up to five spas with partners a year as part of
its plan to expand globally, according to the brand’s international spa and wellness director,
Diane Davody.
In today’s premium spa environment, every detail shapes the guest experience – right down to
the softness of towels and the freshness of linens. [more...]
+ More featured suppliers
COMPANY PROFILES
Klafs GmbH Founded in 1928, Klafs is known as an award winning, world-leading trendsetter in wellness and spa. [more...]
