Preliminary communication

Success factors of theme parks – An exploration study

Birgit Pikkemaat orcid.org/0000-0001-9205-138X ; Department of Strategic Management, Marketing and Tourism Innsbruck University, School of Management, Austria
Markus Schuckert ; Department of Strategic Management, Marketing and Tourism Innsbruck University, School of Management, Austria

Abstract

Theme parks are important products for the leisure and tourism industry but the analysis of their critical success factors seems to be a neglected area in leisure and tourism research. Most authors agree that authenticity as well as the staging of experiences is a main factor influencing consumer’s decision to buy a leisure or tourism product. Thus, this paper discusses authenticity and the staging of experiences as critical success factors for the management of theme parks. Empirical data gathered from personal interviews with theme park managers in Austria, Germany and Switzerland reveal the assumption that the literature is not in line with the critical success factors of theme park management. The paper concludes by outlining future research on success factors of theme parks as well as implications for their management.

Keywords

theme parks; critical success factors; authenticity; staging experiences

Hrčak ID:

24637

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/24637

Publication date:

10.6.2007.

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