I've just been listening to our National Radio programme, and there was a
short article about a local successful business. This one started *really*
local.
A couple of blokes in Queenstown (the place Andrew Fildes visited last
year) had this idea of giving tourist visitors a unique memory of their visit
to
Queenstown, and began with the restaurant at Bob's Peak which visitors
access only from a gondola ride. They positioned themselves at the bottom,
took photos, to use their words "whizzed down to the chemist's and
processed the film". and presented the visitors with a book of photos as they
departed after their meal.
Before long they had integrated their business with Hackett Bungi-jumping
and the Shotover Jet rides business, so that they had permission to be on
site taking photos and selling the product; Ngai-Tahu, the Maori owners of
these businesses get a cut of the proceeds, and the photographic company
takes the risk..
They expanded to other sites in New Zealand and this expansion was
successful.
They decided to try their idea off-shore, and went to Australia where they
started with an agreement to do this at the Sydney Opera house. That was
successful, and they expanded elsewhere in Australia at major tourist
attractions.
Now they are in many countries - I remember South Africa being mentioned,
and they are about to launch in the USA with the operation tied in with a
business called *Merlin* something. They are planning to launch into non-
English-speaking countries soon.
They sell 15 million photos in photobooks a year, have something like ?29
million photos on their web-site, and employ ?? 30 staff around the world.
Just thought you'd like to know.
Brian Swale.
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