The London Eye has an innovative
business model. It is the giant Ferris wheel that every London tourist must
have heard about and you might remember from the 2012 Olympics closing. You will very likely hear of it , if you are a transit passenger with limited time for a London tour.
The Ferris wheel was originally invented and designed by the American George Ferris for
the 1893 Chicago Exposition. George Ferris would be impressed with the business
model that London Eye has developed. Here is how the model works:
- You get a ticket at the location which is on the South Bank of the
Thames. - There are a wide variety of ticket options and the
4-D experience primes the visitor for the real views from the London Eye
itself. - Now you are at the line to get on to the Ferris wheel.
If you think about it the Ferris wheel does make a service experience look
fair and transparent. - The passenger capsules can stand up to 25 tourists
and they can walk around and check out the interactive Samsung tablets to
figure out the various London attractions. The passenger capsules are
transparent, so those waiting in line know what is going on with getting
on and off the passenger capsule. - As you get off, there are automatic pictures taken and
tourists can pose on the audio alert. The pictures may be bought as you
leave the attraction.
So what is so innovative about the
London Eye, given that Ferris Wheels have been around for about 120 years since
American George Ferris came up with the concept? Here are some thoughts:
- London Eye has been able to do brilliant marketing. So
when you ask at the airport about how to quickly "do" London
touring, the London Eye is almost always a suggestion. You visit some
spots and the rest you do on the London Eye which is warm and enclosed in
contrast to the chilly open top red London buses in December. - The EDF Energy London Eye partnership emphasizes its sustainability
and low carbon goals and visitors seem to get a "doing good"
feeling as they buy the fairly expensive tickets. - As the Ferris wheel turns people hop in and out at a
regular frequency and although the ride is 30 minutes for a tourist, the
operator is able to get passengers into the capsule every few minutes.
There are whole bunch of Ferris Wheels across the world in cities that
have great tourist attractions and are perhaps popular locally. And then there
are many more cities in the world that have wonderful tourist spots that could
be viewed through a Ferris wheel that is effectively developed and marketed.
Tourism entrepreneurs should check out hoe the London Eye has been able to
dovetail itself just as literal integrated one stop London Tour. Contact StratoServe.