Traveling a New Year

For the first issue of TAP each year, our contributing writers take the pulse of the traveling amusement industry. For 2013, we offer expanded coverage of this interesting and enduring segment of the business. In our special Carnivals feature section, you will find articles about hiring and training best practices, the hottest carnival and midway games and fair and festival food concessions as well as news from the International Association of Fairs and Expositions (IAFE).

The nation’s large parks are always looking for ways to reinvent themselves, and The Large Park Report follows all of the new developments closely throughout the year. At Walt Disney World’s New Fantasyland, our contributor examines how the attraction will compare with the Wizarding World of Harry Potter and also the phenomenon of offering alcohol in the Magic Kingdom.

New attractions are also making their mark in other areas of the leisure entertainment business. For the past two years, mobile zip lines have been hot for a variety of amusement and entertainment companies, our contributor found. Additionally, in the Waves section, we profile Jay Peak Resort, in Jay, Vt., an attraction that features an indoor waterpark with a remarkable and architecturally stunning aluminum retractable dome.

TAP continues to be an innovator in covering the issues that are of importance to Family Entertainment Center (FEC) owners and managers. In this issue’s FEC Report, we offer a letter from the BPAA on fun foods at bowling centers, and also a primer on building bowling center business with parties and fundraisers. The section’s Mini-Golf & Go-Kart Report profiles indoor miniature golf courses and the ILTA Section offers a letter from the group’s executive director on succeeding during the busy season, training tips any laser tag center can use and a profile of the Branchburg Sports Complex in Branchburg, N.J.

Also in the issue, we offer pieces on inflatable ride care and purchasing tips, food cart and concession trends at zoos and aquariums, increasing beverage profits at museums and keeping the scares safe at haunted attractions.

TAP was well represented with staff members at the 2012 IAAPA Attractions Expo last November, and the event remains an important way to connect with the industry, zero in on new products and trends and take in knowledge and insights at the educational sessions. See our special coverage of the Expo in this issue.

I hope you enjoy the edition. Please email me at editortapmag@kanec.com with comments, questions and suggestions.

Scott C. Borowsky
President and Executive Editor
Tourist Attractions and Parks magazine