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Putting AI to Work in Attractions
How artificial intelligence is changing the way attractions communicate and operate
As the buzz around artificial intelligence (AI) intensifies, the attractions industry explores a practical question at IAAPA Expo Europe: where can AI deliver value on the ground?
Lukas Metzger, head of park operations at Europa-Park, had a revelation after spending hours reviewing hundreds of topic proposals for IAAPA Expo Europe EDUSessions. He realized that AI could have done the same task faster and more efficiently. “AI is going to change the way we work and operate our facilities in the future,” he says.
A Social Media Edge
Mehran Faradji, co-founder of Farbie Wunderwald, an indoor family entertainment center in Westfield Shopping City Süd near Vienna, Austria, is already seeing the benefits. “AI is like having a secretary who helps me every day,” he says.
Marketing is where Faradji notes the biggest impact. In the last few months, he has used two AI tools to develop Farbie Wunderwald’s social media content. Leonardo.Ai’s image-making capabilities allow him to generate new pictures and animations featuring the FEC’s bee mascot. In the blink of an eye, he can produce new seasonal content, themed to winter, summer, or Halloween. Faradji also shared an animated short with the audience, where Farbie the bee wishes children the best as they return to school.
With Runway’s AI video generation software, Faradji creates video clips for a few euros a month. He showcased videos featuring AI-generated families at the FEC—linked to Mother’s Day and Father’s Day promotions—generated in minutes from simple prompts. Westfield Shopping City Süd is now more likely to feature Farbie Wunderwald’s fresh content on its channels, helping the FEC reach even larger audiences.
With AI tools, small FECs like Farbie Wunderwald can yield “extraordinary results” quickly and for very little cost, Faradji says.
Smarter Guest Service
BillyBird, which operates three family parks in the Netherlands (Hemelrijk, Drakenrijk, and Het Run) uses Trengo’s AI-powered engagement platform to strengthen its guest service and communications. BillyBird’s chatbot gives customers the help they need around the clock and in multiple languages.
Martijn Braat, BillyBird’s front and back-office manager, estimates that AI saved the park 109 hours last summer by starting 7,014 customer conversations, only 8% of which were escalated to colleagues. Safeguards are in place to quickly assign issues such as complaints and lost child reports to team members.
Braat highlighted several challenges. The AI-powered customer support system requires up-to-date information about each park to work properly. Operators must take steps to protect themselves against AI-generated hallucinations. “We gave AI a lot of rules to follow,” Braat explains. BillyBird also uses AI for data analysis and scheduling, but while it can organize employee shift patterns, it lacks the empathy and flexibility that human judgment brings.
Futureproofing the Attractions Industry
According to Trengo CEO Marili 't Hooft-Bolle, AI is facilitating a shift “from insight to foresight.” She expects the attractions industry to reap the benefits of AI’s predictive capabilities. For example, imagine a scenario where AI can monitor F&B stock levels, check the weather, anticipate demand, and automatically order products from suppliers.
However, there are potential risks as well. Businesses that once relied on SEO to attract customers through Google may see declining web traffic as people use AI tools like ChatGPT and Gemini to search for information instead.
Yet Hooft-Bolle believes that the leisure industry is in a sound position compared to others because of its experiential nature. “I want to see happy faces and rides,” she says. “This is about the human experience, and that is hard to replicate by computer or AI.”
AI is rapidly evolving, and attractions must adapt. Hooft-Bolle encourages companies to experiment. “You need curiosity. Just start. Try things out.” Organizations should be prepared to iterate and learn. “Your first try will never be perfect,” she says, but companies can become more fluent in AI with practice.
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