In a year of ups, downs, loops and scoops, Attractions Management looks back at some of the biggest stories to hit the headlines, giving indicators at what’s still to come in the year ahead.

June saw a dramatic shift for a British theme park, with Paramount pulling out of a multi-billion pound project in Kent. Elsewhere, one of the world’s greatest footballers put his name to a Chinese theme park project, while the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA) signed a landmark agreement with the United Nations (UN).

Paradismount

London Resort Company Holdings (LRCH) – the developer behind the Paramount theme park in Kent – announced a surprise split from the film studio, which was to act as the masthead for the multi-billion-pound attraction.

The £3.2bn (US$4bn, €3.6bn) London Paramount project was being lined up as a major entertainment resort, with several rides and attractions based on Paramount IPs such as Star Trek, The Godfather and Mission Impossible.

Those brands will no longer be used for the attraction, however, an LRCH spokesperson confirmed that the project would “still be going ahead” with its name changed to London Resort.

“We're in conversations with other IP holders,” they told Attractions Management. “There will be major brands involved but not one overarching studio leading the way.

“It doesn’t really change anything. The branding is what will be shifting. The team, the consultants, the plans and the surveys are still working – it’s all on track from that side of things.”

Lionel Land

Footballer Lionel Messi put his name to a theme park development in China, which will have more than 20 multimedia attractions dedicated to the FC Barcelona star.

A consortium of developers, including China’s Phoenix Group and Spanish conglomerate Mediapro, are backing the Messi Experience Park in Nanjing – described as “a unique global experience” that will allow visitors “to immerse themselves in all things Messi”.

The park will utilise virtual and augmented reality technologies for both rides and special football clinics based on learning from Messi’s skills, and the park will also have its own football pitches for visitors to use.

In total there will be 46,000sq m (495,000sq ft) of indoor facilities alongside 12,000sq m (130,000sq ft) garden game areas and 25,000sq m (270,000sq ft) of public space. The complex is set to be opened in early 2019.

Conservation focus

The chair of the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA) said zoos and aquariums need to be more vocal about the conservation work they do.

With the world’s zoos and aquariums able to reach an estimated 700 million people worldwide every year, they offer an unparalleled platform to raise awareness over conservation and species preservation.

“Part of the problem is zoos and aquariums still feel guilty,” said WAZA chair Doug Cress, speaking to Attractions Management. “They feel guilty about the 20th century, carrying around this tradition of iron bars and imprisonment and punishment. In fact, if you look at the record, they're the ones who have saved species from extinction and who reintroduced species to the wild.”

Check back with Attractions Management tomorrow for July's highlights