Photo: Twitter/ @Attractions_Afr
Attractions Africa
2018, currently underway at the Gold Reef City theme park hotel from 6 - 7
June 2018, is a conference for the visitor attraction industry.
Taking place for a fifth year, it includes presentations by international
and local speakers who share trends, benchmarks and best practices for the industry.
Examples of local achievements, case studies and white papers are also
presented by attraction professionals at the conference.
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Fostering a culture of travel in Africans
The conference is open to aquariums and zoos, family entertainment
centres, heritage and cultural attractions, museums and science centres, natural
attractions, nature and game reserves, public gardens, parks and recreation
facilities, theme parks and water parks, wine farms, craft breweries, markets
and other food and drink attractions.
According to
Attractions Africa, it is “the only educational opportunity for attractions
professionals in Africa” serving as a platform for people in the industry to
network. The conference aims to provide insight to industry players that will
allow them to deliver quality experiences to their visitors.
Considered “Africa’s premier attractions management
conference”, highlights
at this year’s event included seeing the host city of Johannesburg with the
City Sightseeing Bus, a Digital Symposium, presentations by industry experts,
inter-active discussions and social conferences, among other events on the
programme.
Attractions Africa says that there are about 80 participants
at the 2018 conference. These attendees benefit from interactive round-table
discussions on topics such as tips and trends to improve the visitor experience at tourism sites.
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The programme includes talks and presentations by Massimiliano
Freddi - Vice President Strategic Development of Leolandia who discusses dynamic
pricing, and Gretchen Wilson-Prangley - founder and CEO of Play Africa who chats about
creating child-friendly experiences.
Some of the key topics discussed included ensuring that
responsible tourism starts with children, incorporating public holidays and special
days such as Halloween as part of the experience package, looking at dynamic
pricing including promotions and price ranges, and trends in travel and tourism
such as improving accessibility and focusing on sustainability, among others.
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There's also a digital symposium, hosted by the Gauteng Tourism Authority
and Flow Communications, allowing experts to share knowledge, competencies,
tools and resources to meet digital economy demands, focusing on destination
marketing.
Check out highlights
at this year’s conference:
In addition to helping advance the visitor attractions
industry, Attractions Africa has been awarded 10 Continuing Education credit
hours with the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (IAAPA),
which is the world’s largest international trade association for permanently
situated amusement facilities.
“It’s certification programme provides members with a
competitive advantage and helps maintain the highest industry standards,” says
Attractions Africa.
If you missed this year’s conference, be sure to attend next
year’s event and learn how to improve attraction experiences.
