Keeping ahead of the trends in any business sector is crucial, as franchisee Andrew Tribe, owner of BIG4 Saltwater at Yamba Holiday Park, can testify. The Yamba Holiday Park in northern New South Wales features SaltyÍs Cove, an environmentally friendly water park which includes a pirate theme with skulls, cannons, steering wheels and parrots; four water slides catering for toddlers; a big tube slide for the bigger kids; and a giant pirateÍs head bucket which tips out half a tonne of water every 35 seconds onto thrilled children.
Says Andrew, “The interactive element of Salty Cove really captivates young children and IÍm sure the parents will find it an added bonus to their family holiday too. The pool is very environmentally friendly, which is something we consider with any new facility we introduce, with water saving technology and even a device that converts dissolved particles in the water into chlorine.”
With a June opening, the water park has already received phenomenal feedback, with comments such as “I canÍt believe I can get this facility,” reports Andrew. “It has made a huge difference. WeÍre a bit out of the town, and compete with large private parks and council parks who have the pick of the locations. In some respects weÍre now moving ahead.”
One reason Andrew introduced the waterpark was to return the main pool to an adult-friendly zone by tempting away the children to a more enjoyable environment.
Andrew is so enthusiastic about the newly installed water park and the added value it will bring his business that he has become a distributor of the hardware too.
The waterpark was a $600,000 investment but Andrew explains that “We did quite a bit of the installation ourselves.” As a canny franchisee, heÍs never shied away from spending to maximise potential, investing about $1.5 million to upgrade cabins at Yamba when he took over the business.
When it comes to financial impact, Andrew views the waterpark as a tool to increase occupancy rather than a way to nudge up the costs for a guest.
He stresses that waterparks are not just for sites like Yamba which sit on 130 acres, they can fit into smaller footprints too. And he expects to see more of this splash-filled adventure coming to other resorts.
“Due to the robustness of our industry and the family focus of most BIG4 Parks, I believe we will see a number of the larger BIG4 properties installing water parks over the next five to seven years. I would also imagine that any smaller parks that decided to install a water park would see a significant increase in the number of guests they attract.”
And this is not just a local trend. The BIG4 Holiday Parks sees the addition of interactive water parks increasing around the world. The US has a chain of exclusive water park resorts called Great Wolf Resorts and Center Parcs in the UK has lifted the holiday park experience with restaurants, spa treatments, shops and a sub-tropical swimming paradise at each of its four parks with water activities such as a wave machine and outdoor rapids.
BIG4 Holiday Parks CEO Ray Schleibs says he is never surprised by the new technologies and facilities that BIG4 member parks introduce to create the ultimate holiday experience for guests. “We are excited to now be a part of the next big thing, the interactive water park. With seven BIG4 Parks already showcasing aquatic playgrounds and five more in the planning or installation stage, we expect to see the trend gain momentum quickly over the next couple of years,” Schleibs adds.
For Andrew, building up the waterpark distribution business while maintaining a focus on the two holiday parks under his wing is the focus now.
“WeÍve got two parks. Our park in Tweed Heads was built from scratch by my parents and became a BIG4 franchise 20 years ago. I took it on about 11 years ago. And weÍve been in Yamba for five years, which has always been part of the BIG4 chain. The franchisor has a big impact — increasing the value of the business instantly, itÍs a no brainer. The brand awareness is so far ahead of competing brands.”