Bits Beyond the Berms 4/16/07 - 4/22/07

[Figment!]

Dh850m Theme Park to Put RAK on Tourism Map

By Nasouh Nazzal | Staff Reporter
Gulf News
Apri 22, 2007

Ras Al Khaimah: Ras Al Khaimah will soon have a Dh850 million theme park with a host of attractions, including the largest man-made waterfall in the world.

The model of the 120-acre WOW RAK, a multipart entertainment venue and theme park currently under construction at the Khor Qurm region, was unveiled at a function yesterday at Manar Mall.

The theme park is being promoted by Polo RAK Amusements - a joint venture company between Polo Amusement Park from India, RAK Investment Authority and RAK Properties.

WOW RAK will include two adjacent theme parks - Ice Land Water Park and Planet Earth Theme Park - with a capacity to cater to 15,000 visitors per day, apart from a 12,000 square metre shopping mall and entertainment plaza and a resort. The water park will be ready for the public by May 2008 and the entire theme park will be completed in two years.

Dr Khater Massaad, Adviser to RAK Crown Prince and CEO of RAK Investment Authority, said the project was part of RAK Government's strategy to transform the emirate into a premier tourism destination in the region.

"We are in the process of enhancing the hotel infrastructure available in the emirate and are also making efforts to provide world- class entertainment options by undertaking projects like this mega theme park," he added.

Balwant Singh, managing director and CEO of the Polo RAK JV said: "WOW RAK theme park, which is being built over an area of 120 acres, will be an epicentre for entertainment, leisure and recreation by making available many unique attractions for the first time in the region".

[Figment!]

Indoor Water Park Idea is Being Taken Seriously

By MARLY KOSINSKI
Tribune Chronicle
April 22, 2007

CORTLAND — Opening a water park in Trumbull County could be a costly venture, but its profit potential should outweigh any drawbacks, according to the operator of a water park facility in Sandusky.

A proposed lodge at Mosquito Lake State Park could be successful if accompanied by an indoor/outdoor water park, according a consultant’s study.

Todd Nelson, president and owner of Kalahari Resorts in Sandusky, concurs. He said the Sandusky park was built because of the success of the company’s resort in Wisconsin Dells. The Wisconsin facility, which includes an indoor/outdoor water park, a hotel and a convention center, opened in 2000.

Maris Brenner, marketing coordinator of Kalahri Resorts, said the Midwest has proven to be the perfect location for indoor water park facilities because of the unpredictable weather.

‘‘The value of an indoor water park is that it’s weather-protected. It can operate year-round and even in the summer, it’s the perfect solution for a rainy day,’’ Brenner said.

Kalahari Resorts in Sandusky will celebrate its second anniversary in May, and an expansion that will double the size of its indoor water park is under way, she said. The water park is 80,000 square feet and the 93,000-square-foot addition will open in December.

Brenner said the expansion will make the Sandusky facility the largest indoor water park in the United States. That honor currently is held by the company’s Wisconsin facility, which measures 140,000 square feet.

‘‘We’re very happy with the success of our Sandusky location. We market it as being close to Cleveland and Toledo because it’s within a few hours drive either way. And because it’s by Lake Erie, we market it as a vacation destination and not just as a weekend getaway,’’ Brenner said. ‘‘Cedar Point already was a big draw to the area, so we capitalized on that.’’

For the proposed lodge at Mosquito Lake State Park, Gateway Consultants Group Inc., Mark R. Lyberger of the Center for Sport and Recreation Development at Kent State University and Susan Miller of Orinsby & Company completed an $85,000 study that was released Monday. They recommended a full-service lodge with 80 to 100 units on the east side of the Lake in Cortland.

Tom Chema, president of Gateway Consultants, said information collected through surveys and public meetings showed that the lodge would get a lot of business from May through November. The year-round water park would ensure family activity at the lodge even during the winter months.

The firm estimates it would cost $17 million just to build a lodge without a water park. Barring any major problems, the goal is to have a lodge completed within three years.

Chema said the lodge would employ about 70 full-time workers year-round, with 50 to 60 seasonal employees. The water park also would create jobs, and Chema said he anticipates additional spin-off development.

Bill Letson, a member of the philanthropic group Trumbull 100 that spearheaded the lodge idea, said it has not yet been decided how the group will proceed.

‘‘We were happy with the study’s results. It was very well done and was an honest assessment. That’s what we asked for because we didn’t have any preconceived notions about what we wanted,’’ he said.

Nelson said Kalahari’s Sandusky facility was in development for three to four years before construction began. He said the company relied on a number of factors, including an internal feasibility report and information from the Ohio Division of Travel and Tourism. According to that agency’s Web site, there are nine water parks in Ohio.

‘‘We also knew that 30 million people live within a four-hour drive from Sandusky and 3 million already make the trip each year to visit Cedar Point,’’ Nelson said.

Nelson said attendance at both Kalahari resorts has grown each year, and the company estimates its Sandusky attendance at approximately 750,000 a year. He said the busiest months are March and April because of spring break.

In terms of employees, he said the Sandusky facility has about 700 with a 2006 payroll of $8.4 million. He said the employee roster will grow once the expansion opens.

Stephanie Sferra, executive director of the Trumbull County Tourism Bureau, said a water park would benefit the local market, but cautioned it would have to be done correctly.

‘‘This area can’t support a four-star hotel and resort like the ones you find in Sandusky. The bureau could promote a water park as another attraction in this area, but the lodge would have to include it as part of its overall marketing plan,’’ Sferra said.

Nelson said indoor water park resorts are more popular than ever in the United States and he thinks they have a strong profit potential.

‘‘It’s certainly a delicate mix because water parks are expensive to build. But, if they get it right, I think they can be successful,’’ he said.