How Parks Can Leverage The JOLA Effect And Revenge Tourism - Arihant Waterslides

How Parks Can Leverage The JOLA
Effect And Revenge Tourism

With the pandemic showing signs of retreat, the month of August
witnessed an exponential interest in water parks and other leisure
centers. The stress accumulated over the past few months during the
second pandemic wave has forced people to seek venues to sit
back, relax and enjoy with family and friends.
A global phenomenon which is being observed is ‘JOLA’ or the Joy of
Looking Ahead. This phenomenon explains the reason why families
and groups want to look ahead and enjoy outings even during the
pandemic. This includes planning and paying for facilities in
advance.
So, how did the JOLA effect come into being globally? Well, when
countries such as the UK and USA unveiled the roadmap out of the

second lockdown, thousands of fun-seeking people began to think
about the first thing they would like to do with their sudden freedom
post-lockdown. As they began to look ahead, they became optimistic
about the future. The JOLA effect settled in.

Research of US & UK customers by Merlin Entertainments and
Oracle’s Food and Beverage revealed the following:

• 54% of respondents love planning their itinerary in advance to
beat the queues.

• 59% of respondents favor a “fast pass” system that provides
priority access to facilities, shops and food

• 40% of respondents are willing to pay extra to pre-book their
day’s activities

• 48% of millennials prefer providing their preferences in advance
to receive exciting offers

The above stats have inspired businesses keen to capitalize on the
JOLA effect. After a tumultuous year that featured zero to limited
entertainment, consumers are excited and looking forward to
months of fun. The JOLA effect combines well with a concept known
as revenge tourism, which amplifies the desire to go on a vacation
immediately after a long period of lockdown.

Revenge tourism travelers are picky and often keen on selecting the
perfect spots that offer a comprehensive package to unwind. This is
where entertainment parks offer immense opportunity.

With the JOLA effect strongly in place, consumers are looking to plan
leisure activities by pre-ordering refreshments, meals, and checking-
in online before they arrive at a water park.

They are eagerly awaiting feel-good experiences, but want to feel
safe at the same time. Pre-bookings allow guests to personalize their
stay while taking factors such as social distancing into consideration.

It’s important to create and advertise exciting packages that can
capture the attention of water park enthusiasts. Ideally, parks should
seek partnerships with local eateries and hotels to introduce
packages that offer significant discounts on leisure activities, food
and lodging.

Water parks that can engage customers from the booking date to
the actual visit date as this will heighten anticipation which will turn
out to be winners in the entertainment game.

If you are in the water park industry, then you should anticipate what
customers seek from you. Use the JOLA effect to your advantage and
not miss out on this changing consumer behavior trend.