ConsultEcon Management & Economic Insight

The tourism sector is often one of the most important parts of national, state and city economies. Tourism encompasses attractions that entertain visitors; restaurants, hotels and retail operators that provide services to the visitor: and transportation that moves a visitor to and thru a destination. ConsultEcon staff work on all aspects of tourism, providing services focused on market support, development strategies, feasibility and implementation.

 

Themed Attractions

Tivoli Gardens:  Copenhagen, Denmark
This work involved evaluation of a new attraction element for this historic theme park.  Services included market support potential, operating plan and potential return on investment.


Flightworks:  St. Louis, Missouri
A comprehensive feasibility study was prepared for a planned aviation/mixed-use themed attraction to be located in the St. Louis metro area.  The project offers amusement park rides, themed experiences, food service, retail and meeting space.  The work included site analysis and market research, concept review and comparables analysis, and visitation estimate and operating profile. 


Stories Project:  Coralville, Iowa
Evaluated the market and operating potential of the Stories Project to be located on a 25-acre site in Coralville, Iowa.  Stories will be a major multi-faceted national destination themed environment.  It will feature aspects of literacy, reading and literature, as well as a writer’s hall of fame.  It will also include entertainment, recreational, retail, and restaurant elements.  Our work included an initial evaluation of the overall concept, project components and an initial program of spaces that balances development costs, achieving project critical mass and optimum space utilization.  The initial market support potential analysis that was also prepared will inform further project planning.  Later, we prepared an initial operating and feasibility review for the emerging project concept.


Destiny USA:  Syracuse, New York
Performed a market assessment for this major destination entertainment, retail, sports and recreational attraction to be located near Syracuse, New York.


Niagara Parks Master Plan:  Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada
This work provided an analysis of current market and operating conditions of Niagara Parks, which operates the Canadian side of world-famous Niagara Falls, with a focus on Queen Victoria Park.  It reviewed the experience of comparable attractions in North America and applied it to Niagara Falls.  An important aspect of this analysis was to put into context the strategic issues facing Niagara Parks as it planned for upcoming years in a Master Plan process.  Recommendations on new attraction elements, associated retail and food service were included.  A business plan and warranted investment strategy were central to a major investment program.


Cedar Point:  Sandusky, Ohio
Analyzed the demographic characteristics of target market households for Cedar Point Amusement Park.  As the target visitor profile and service area included both water parks and amusement parks, we provided two separate analyses.


NASCAR Hall of Fame:  Kansas City, Missouri
We reviewed the attendance projections prepared to date for the proposed NASCAR Hall of Fame to be located in Kansas City.  We provided ongoing advice to the project proponent during the location selection process.


Downtown Attractions Study:  Providence, Rhode Island
Evaluated the market potential for the development of a new attraction or set of attractions in the city of Providence’s downtown core.  A key proposal was the opportunity for a Toy Discovery Center, a toy-themed educational attraction that would appeal to children and their families and reflect Rhode Island’s toy making tradition.  We also evaluated the market support and operating potential of the Toy Discovery Center, including optimal project sizing, development and operating costs, attendance projections and funding strategies.


Themed Entertainment Complex:  New York, New York
Analyzed the potential for a large, mixed-use entertainment complex in New York City.  The proposed project would be a destination entertainment center serving the New York Area as an "urban entertainment center" offering cinema, sports, rides, themed shopping and restaurant elements.  The various project elements would be mutually supportive in creating a destination attraction.


Rio Adentro Attractions:  Portimao, Portugal
Prepared a feasibility evaluation for a series of attractions to be developed along the waterfront in Portimao.  These attractions included an aquarium, insectarium, and multi media museum.