Volume 1, No. 18. October 5, 2001
Fellowship of foes
The fiercest of competitors are also the steadfastest of colleagues in the amusement
industry. Nowhere is that more evident than with the Northern California Attractions
Association, which rushed to the aid of member Bonfante Gardens when the Gilroy,
California, theme park shut down its season early last month because of financial
difficulty.
"We support our brother attractions," said the association's president Rodney
Fong, vice president of the Wax Museum at Fisherman's Wharf in San Francisco.
Bonfante's closing left its season ticket holders out in the cold, so eight
of the other nine member attractions offered those pass holders special deals
at their properties. Six Flags Marine World in Vallejo will give pass holders
free admission for the rest of its season, the Wax Museum and the National Steinbeck
Center are offering free admission through the rest of the year, and Santa Cruz
Beach Boardwalk is providing unlimited rides. Paramount's Great America in Santa
Clara, Roaring Camp Railroads and Big Trees in Felton, Winchester Mystery House
in San Jose and Monterey Bay Aquarium in Monterey are offering discounted admissions.
"We're just helping (Bonfante) out, and we're keeping that visitor in northern
California," Fong said. "Plus we all get an opportunity to expose our attractions
to some of their guests."
The association formed 15 years ago, and while some members have left and re-joined,
none have shuttered before now. Along with sharing the cost of advertising in
national and regional media, the association maintains a scholarship fund for
students attending travel and tourism academies. The members also have formed
what Fong called "a little bit of a fraternity, a group of friends" that shares
concerns, insights and business barometers.
"From big attractions to smaller guys like Winchester and Big Trees, it's a
good mix of people," Fong said. "We all realize we're fierce competitors, but
our job is to get people into northern California. Then we fight over them once
they get here."
For more information on the association, visit their web site at www.sfbayfun.com.