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Hershey Park’s new CEO says business is down, but it’s better off than the competition


Skift Take

Amusement parks perform better than national parks during an economic downturn, and Hershey’s established brand keeps visitor numbers higher than the industry average.

What’s next for Hersheypark? Simpson said guests are constantly being surveyed, and two things visitors say they want are more roller coasters and water rides.

As for the resorts, 7 percent of the park’s visitors stay at HERCO’s properties which top off at 1,000 rooms. The average length of stay is two days… “We are more of a get-away than a vacation destination,” he said.

“We need a compelling reason to make people come here. If we remind people of who we are and what we stand for, that’s a good reason. We are easy to get to and they know what to expect from us. There’s great loyalty to the Hershey brand.”

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