The Business of Leisure 2009 Alton Towers Resort as a Business

The Merlin Entertainments Group

Alton Towers Resort Mission Statement A company mission reflects what we want to be from a business perspective Alton Towers Resort is part of the Merlin Entertainments Group, the leading name in location based, family entertainment, which has seen the most successful and dynamic growth of any company in the sector over the last five years.   The world’s second largest visitor attraction operator, Merlin aims to deliver memorable and rewarding experiences to its 30 million visitors worldwide, through its iconic global and local brands, and the commitment and passion of its managers and 13,000 employees

Alton Towers Resort Vision From a guest perspective, you want to know what you can expect from our attractions. Therefore our vision is what we want customers to experience and relate to “Fantastical Escapism & Making Britain Happy”

Alton Towers Resort Company values To deliver fantastical escapism, all of our employees are expected to demonstrate the company values Forever Forward That’s Entertainment All for one Facing Reality

Alton Towers Resort Goods & Services To further deliver Fantastical Escapism, the business of Alton Towers Resort offers a range of goods and services. These are defined as follows: Goods tangible things you can touch Services – intangible and what people do for you

Alton Towers Resort Goods & Services

Making a Profit All of the Goods and Services we provide cost money. Other examples of Alton Towers Resort costs include: Staff wages Raw materials Advertising Costs Electricity/Power costs To cover these costs, a business sells the goods or services it provides. This is known as income or revenue. The money left after all costs have been taken into account is the profit.

Making a Profit The revenue at Alton Towers Resort is categorised in two ways, Primary and Secondary: Primary; Theme park admission & Hotel stays, Water Park and Extraordinary Golf admission. Secondary; Goods and services which are not included in the main ticket price. Once revenue made is greater than the costs, a business will make a Profit.

Making a Profit To maximise sales and make a greater profit, Alton Towers Resort must not only attract new customers but ensure it’s existing customer base will remain loyal. We ensure the goods and service we offer deliver “Fantastical Escapism”, as it’s harder to attract new customers than to retain existing customers. When here we encourage guests to make the most of their experience by extending their one day visit to incorporate a hotel stay, or play a round of Golf.

Customer Satisfaction To ensure we are offering the correct goods and services we conduct Market Research which provides feedback from our guests. From this we can identify what we need to develop to ensure our Target Market return and recommend us to others 2007 STATS overall enjoyment of Resort experience -8.7 out of 10 Customer Service- 8 out of 10 13% of guests were visiting us for the first time and 28% of respondents visited us the previous year Q Spoilt my day – 27% 2008 STATS overall enjoyment of Resort experience -8.9 out of 10 Customer Service- 8.3 out of 10 13% of guests were visiting us for the first time and 29% of respondents visited us the previous year Q Spoilt my day – 25%

Re-investing Profits In order to develop our goods and services, it is vital to re-invest the profits we make. The amount we invest every year varies depending on the needs of our target market. 2010 Return of the Thrill seekers with SW6……………….!?

Sharkbait Reef By SEA LIFE 2010 SW6 £15m 2009 Sharkbait Reef By SEA LIFE 2008 Mutiny Bay 2006 Family Rides £4.5m & £2m 2003 2nd Hotel £40m 2002 Air £13m 1998 Oblivion £14m 1996 1st Hotel £20m 1994 Nemesis £12m 1990 Family rides £10m Alton Towers Resort Re-investing Profits

Alton Towers Resort Organisational Structure Decentralised structure which sets out Job Roles Levels of authority Channels of communication Directors or Owners Senior Managers Middle Managers Junior Managers Support Staff

Alton Towers Resort Internal Departments Conference & Events Customer Services Retail Rides Hotel Finance Health & Safety Medical & Security Guest HR Tech Entertainments Costume Sales & Marketing Central Administration Alton Towers Resort

Conclusion We started today looking at our company mission and Resort vision of Fantastical Escapism and how these are delivered through a set of company values. We have established the difference between goods and services, using key examples at Alton Towers Resort, and touched on the value of customer research in helping us to develop these goods and services. We have explored how to make a profit , and the importance of this to re-invest for the future growth of our business. We have looked at organisational structures and levels of authority within them, highlighting the de-centralised structure at Alton Towers Resort.

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