The moment I realised the National Zoological Gardens of South Africa was a tourist attraction

AAVEA Board Members and IAP Facilitators

By Craig Allenby –

I have been asked what my “aha” moment was when I realised that I worked for a tourist attraction.

It happened like this… As most of us do, from time to time, I was sitting in my office trying to figure out ways to attract more patrons to my organisation. Thank goodness the internet had already been invented and a quick Google, or whatever its predecessor was, presented me with a plethora of ideas from a variety of different types of organisations. Here comes the “Aha” moment. What linked all these organisations together was their need to increase the number of feet through the organisation.

Whether you are a zoo, an aquarium, a museum or a theme park, we all need more patrons. This could be to ease revenue pressures or to justify your business or mandate to funders. Increasing the number of patrons requires a series of behaviours that saddles across the attractions spectrum. These behaviours are what unify us as attractions. It’s not just about the techniques that are best at preserving your collection; the number or diversity of your animals or whether you have the latest high-speed-ride. It’s about meeting and exceeding the needs of your patrons. It’s about your pricing strategy, investing in WiFi technology and creating that perfect “selfie” spot. Developing a thorough understanding of your patrons ever changing needs and addressing them is at the centre of our operations. This is what makes us ATTRACTIONS!

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