Find great staff TM The news & jobs magazine from Attractions Management AM2 AM2.jobs 1 APRIL 2015 ISSUE 23 21 killed in Bardo museum terrorist attack 21 people have been killed in MOHAMED MESSARA PHOTO: Mohamed Ali Aroui speaking Tunisia after gunmen targeted to journalists after the event, a museum in the country’s adding that the attack involved capital, also taking hostages. “two or more terrorists The events took place on 18 armed with Kalashnikovs”. March at the Bardo museum Concerns about security in – one of Tunisia’s premier Tunisia have been raised in tourist sites – which sits next to recent months thanks to the Tunisia’s parliament building. political instability in neigh- The siege ended two hours bouring Libya. A large number after the gunmen began their of Tunisians have also left the attack, when security forces country to fight in Syria and entered the museum to retrieve Iraq, adding to concerns that the hostages, resulting in the returning militants could carry death of the gunmen and one Tunisian security forces enter the museum to end the hostage situation out attacks on home soil. member of the counter-ter- Since the attack, 23 suspects rorism team. 50 people were Tunisian national were killed to the country’s Prime Minister. have been arrested in connec- also admitted to hospital. in the attacks. The victims “A terrorist attack [targeted] tion with a terrorist cell linked It is understood that at were Polish, Spanish, German, the Bardo Museum,” said to the Islamic State (ISIS). least 17 foreign tourists and a Italian and Tunisian, according interior ministry spokesman Continued on back cover Universal Studios Japan Joel Manby named new SeaWorld CEO plans Okinawa theme park Joel Manby has been appointed the new Universal Studios Japan’s president, president and CEO of SeaWorld Entertain- Glenn Gumpel, has said the theme ments, amid hopes the former Herschend park is looking to build a second devel- Enterprises president and CEO can turn opment on the sub-tropical island around the floundering company. of Okinawa – more than 1,500km Manby, 55, joins SeaWorld’s Board of (932 miles) away from its existing Directors, while David D’Alessandro, who park on mainland Japan. served as interim CEO in the wake of the The second development would resignation of Jim Atchison, will continue use the island for inspiration, rather to serve as the company’s chair. than Hollywood movies. Okinawa Serving as president and CEO of Manby wants to turn the tide at SeaWorld is currently trying to sell itself as Herschend Enterprises, Manby oversaw an Asian tourist destination and a such attractions as Dollywood and the growth, expanding the company from six to Universal theme park would be a huge world-famous exhibition basketball team the 26 properties in his 12 years in the role, while step towards solidifying that stance. Harlem Globetrotters. While at Herschend, more than doubling annual net cash flow. More: http://lei.sr?a=2V3W8_A Manby consistently offered profitable More: http://lei.sr?a=h2W6q_A Magazine sign up at PDF for iPad, Kindle & smart phone Online on digital turning pages Twitter follow us: GET AM2.jobs/subs AM2.jobs/pdf AM2.jobs/digital @am2jobs AM2 Job board live job updates Ezine sign up for weekly updates, Instant sign up for instant alerts, RSS sign up for job & news feeds AM2.jobs AM2.jobs/ezine AM2.jobs/instant AM2.jobs/rss CONTACT US AM2 NEWS Attractions jobs & news AM2.jobs Leisure Media Tel: +44 (0)1462 431385 Fax: +44 (0)1462 433909 e-mail: please use contact’s Rovio reports stunted growth as [email protected] Subscriptions Angry Birds profits take a nosedive [email protected] Editor The Angry Birds IP has Liz Terry +44 (0)1462 431385 experienced a sharp drop Head of News in popularity as shown by Jak Phillips +44 (0)1462 471938 creator Rovio’s company AM2 News Editor report, which notes a 73 per Tom Anstey +44 (0)1462 471916 cent fall in operating profits Attractions Management to €10m (US$10.m, £7.2m) Alice Davis +44 (0)1462 471918 over the past year. Journalist The figures compare Helen Andrews +44 (0)1462 471902 poorly to the much more Architecture and Design favourable profits of €76.8m Katie Buckley +44 (0)1462 471936 (US$82.9m, £55.5m) in 2012 AM2 Products Editor and €36.5m (US$39.3m, The brand has taken a significant hit over the last year Jason Holland +44 (0)1462 471922 €36.5m) in 2013. Along with AM2 Publisher a 9 per cent drop in total As an attraction, Angry Thorpe Park in the UK, Julie Badrick +44 (0)1462 471919 sales for 2014, there was a Birds has proved to be among other openings. Sales sharp decline in merchan- a popular IP. Last year Despite recent setbacks, Simon Hinksman +44 (0)1462 471905 dise sales. Revenue from alone, nine Angry Birds Rovio is optimistic that Jed Taylor +44 (0)1462 471914 mobile games was positive, FECs were announced for a 3D movie scheduled Paul Thorman +44 (0)1462 471904 with a 16 per cent rise to China, while an educational for 2016 will breathe Chris Barnard +44 (0)1462 471907 €110.7m (US$119.5m, £80m) concept came to Dubai and life back into the brand. Design in the 12-month period. the brand made its debut at More: http://lei.sr?a=P7X9B_A Ed Gallagher +44 (0)1905 20198 Internet Michael Paramore +44 (0)1462 471926 Dean Fox +44 (0)1462 471900 Tim Nash +44 (0)1462 471917 Italy calls for UN force to help protect Emma Harris +44 (0)1462 471921 Financial Administrator ancient heritage sites from destruction Denise Adams +44 (0)1462 471930 Circulation Manager Italy’s minister for culture Michael Emmerson +44 (0)1462 471932 has backed plans for the Subscribe to AM2: creation of a UN peace- Online: www.am2.jobs/subs keeping force to protect Email: [email protected] heritage sites across the Tel: +44 (0)1462 471913 world, following the destruc- Annual subscription rates are UK £31 tion of Iraq’s ancient cities Europe £41, Rest of world £62 by the Islamic State (ISIS). students UK £16 “A sort of ‘blue helmets of culture’ are needed, as AM2 is published fortnightly by there are blue helmets The Leisure Media Company Limited, Portmill House, Portmill Lane, Hitchin, Herts SG5 1DJ, UK that intervene to protect and is distributed in the USA by SPP, 75 Aberdeen in situations of war,” Road, Emigsville, PA 17318-0437. Periodicals postage paid @ Manchester, PA POSTMASTER said Dario Franceschini, The call comes after ISIS’s deliberate attacks on historical sites Send US address changes to Spa Opportunities, speaking to The Guardian, c/o PO Box 437,Emigsville, PA 17318-0437. The views expressed in print are those of the author referring to uniforms worn Speaking on Iraq, of culture, symbols of a and do not necessarily represent those of the publisher by the UN’s peacekeepers. Franceschini added: “At religion.” Franceschini also The Leisure Media Company Limited. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored “There should be an one time great monuments said that a protective force in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by international rapid response were hit accidentally in could not be established means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recorded or otherwise without the prior permission of the force to defend monuments wars, during bombing. by one country, rather an copyright holder. Printed by Preview Cromatic Ltd. and archaeological Now they’re hit precisely international community. ©Cybertrek Ltd 2015 ISSN Print: 2055-8171 Digital: 2055-818X sites in conflict zones.” because they are symbols More: http://lei.sr?a=B3v4V_A 2 Read AM2 online: AM2.jobs/digital Twitter: @AM2jobs ©Cybertrek 2015 Sign up for your free digital subscription to AM2 magazine: AM2.jobs/subs Russia plans on sending tourists to ISS by 2018 The Russian Space Agency is planning on taking tourists to the International Space Station (ISS) to cover a funding deficit, which will be made when Nasa stops paying Russia to carry astronauts to the orbiting satellite. Russia has previously sent eight tourists into space – between 2001 and 2009 – but halted the astro-tourism programme when the ISS expanded its crew numbers and Nasa needed the shuttle space to send up its astronauts. Now Nasa is moving away from Russian co-operation and privately developing its own spacecraft for such missions, with US companies including Boeing and SpaceX devel- oping crafts, which Nasa will then pay to use. Nasa’s existing US$76m (€68.9m, £50.8m) contract with the Russian Space Agency expires in 2017. It is thought that soon after that expiration, Russia Tourists would go up in the Soyuz TMA model, filling a vacant seat in the shuttle will begin to offer adventurous tourists the trip of a lifetime, but will extend its attraction in the universe, with the last window, opera singer Sarah Brightman, will existing deal with Nasa by one year. visitor in 2009 reported to have paid an travel to the ISS in September, occupying a The flight would make a visit to the Inter- estimated US$40m (€36.3m, £26.7m) for seat on the scheduled Soyuz rocket. national Space Station the most expensive the pleasure. Prior to the planned tourism More: http://lei.sr?a=K7T3R_A Beacon technology allows guests to track animals at Tennessee Aquarium The Tennessee Aquarium in Chattanooga, Tennessee, is the first aquarium in the world to utilise new Merlin runs more than 100 attractions proximity-based technology in its facility as part of the Singapore’s GIC doubles visitor attraction.