The hour is coming
For amusement parks, the time to choose between the high road and the low road is very near. The finance minister has extended incentives to the entertainment industry in the current budget. It is highly possible that amusement parks will be looked at more favourably, if a case is made out properly.

Editorial -- Full of promise
The finance ministry seems to have gone all out to encourage the new economy sectors -- entertainment, IT and telecom -- in the current budget. Amusement parks constitute a small but important segment in the entertainment sector.

Redefining family fun
Where can a family of four -- where the father wants to sit and relax, the mother wants to go shopping and the children prefer a movie or a park -- spend time together? At the FEC!

Sculpt your own reality
The setting is a video console in a corner of an amusement park. The story is a familiar one. The hero is outnumbered two to twenty and the villain's henchmen are hot on his heels in the ruined mill. His quiet getaway is spoiled when he stumbles. The sound brings two of his pursuers on the scene.

Transit towards a bigger arena
Will the e-economy excitement spill over to the amusement park industry? There are indications that this sector could well participate in the overall excitement about the new economy.

Bolt the stable door right away
Promoteres of parks in India have always neglected personnel management. Employee related factors like job specification, job qualification, hiring procedure, retention efforts, and career-building are as good as ignored.

Doing it the American way
The amusement park industry in the USA is dead serious about retaining good employees. The primary weapon is financial incentives, but the news (good or bad) is that these days money does not wield as much influence as it used to.

Profit -- yardstick of success
NICCO Parks & Resorts Ltd., the world’s only ISO 9000 certified park, is a trendsetter in the industry, has many firsts attached to its name and, is one of the few profit-making organisations in this sector. Incorporated in 1990, it is the only listed company in the country’s amusement park industry -- Calcutta, Mumbai, Bhubaneshwar -- which is showing profits.

"E-comm will drive industry"
The Vadodara-based TEAM Projects and Consultants is one of the oldest industry observers as far as amusement parks in India are concerned. It has provided consultancy to around a half dozen projects . It is also active in consultancy areas like supply chain management, through its site teampro.org. It is launching Asia's first amusement park industry website, amuseonline.com.

"Lack of vision is the main problem"
Shanku's started on 11th November 1993 and till November 1995 it was the only water park in India. In the next two years, around 30 new water parks came up. So much for the growth. In 1998-99 only 2 water parks were set up in Gujarat, and none after that. Today there are about 14 water parks operating in Gujarat.