Funworld July 2010

Put the People First

Xetulul Theme Park reflects Guatemalan values
by Marion Hixon

If you put a mirror up to the country of Guatemala, you would see many of its historical narratives and cultural values reflected in Xetulul—the country’s largest theme park— located in Retalhuleu, the Southwest region of the country.

When IRTRA, the Guatemalan recreation association for employees of the country’s private sector, opened the park in 2002, its mission was to give the citizens of Guatemala a worldclass theme park that reflected their own values. And as Xetulul developed, its name became synonymous with focusing on both its employees and customers.

IRTRA has always carried a mission to provide entertainment for employees of the country’s private sector, as well as families from the region. Since the beginning, the organization has given free park admission to its members and five members of their families; in return, corporate members pay 1 percent of their total monthly wages. “Xetulul was born under this same idea,” says Jorge Mario Chajón, marketing manager at the park.

Employee Focus: High Expectations, High Rewards
“IRTRA’s culture is the result of standards, customs, and values that were developed over time,” Chajón says. “They are the identifying seal of the organization.” These standards are carried over to how Xetulul treats its members and the tenets by which they operate. Those precepts include hospitality, honesty, integrity, respect, innovation, hygiene, safety, and superior quality in courtesy, efficiency, and services.

Chajón says each is an indispensible quality for those who work within Xetulul. “The objective is that guests stay satisfied and leave having had an unforgettable experience,” he says. “Added value is given when any additional service is provided; this leaves the guest with a good impression.”

Of more than 30,000 IRTRA employees, 800 of them work at Xetulul, and each worker participates in 40 hours of training courses encompassing the IRTRA culture, company history, expected worker behavior, professional relationships, customer service, job efficiency, safety, and cleanliness, among other values.

“They don’t just study theories; they actually practice these disciplines,” says Jorge Bonilla, the head of IRTRA’s training department. “Employees are taught and rehearse everything from how to smile, body language and communication, how to dress, and in the case of the women, how to apply makeup.”

IRTRA also provides a complimentary medical clinic for employee use. The service was initially intended for visitors to the park, but Guatemala lacks strong public health and social security services, so the park quickly discovered the need for employee health benefits. Now the service is available to employees who can acquire the medical attention they need. “In many cases,” Chajón says, “this ends up being the first contact they’ve had with a medical professional.”

Customer Focus: Keep Them Coming Back
Guatemala’s different social classes tend not to mix in personal settings, which is why it’s an impressive feat that Xetulul successfully mixes social classes without discriminating.

“This way, all social statuses are accounted for and we guarantee the same quality service for all,” says Ramiro García, human resources manager at IRTRA. The park’s guests come in all ages and social levels and are comprised of a variety of operations workers, middle management, and high-ranking executives. “They all live in harmony, wait their turn for the attractions, buy in the same gift shops, and eat in the same restaurants,” García says.

With such a focus on pleasing guests and creating a fun, clean environment, management at the park has identified its constant challenge as finding new ways to provide added value to guests. As a solution, the park has found success in offering several promotional programs to guests who may not be IRTRA members, yet desire to visit the park. The Official Identification Program of Guatemala has extended free admission to each departmental region of Guatemala (of which there are 22) for one month of the year. Only personal identification is required to prove the guest resides in that department. In 2007 alone, Xetulul received more than 200,000 visitors through that program.

Similarly, the park extends an option to public schools in the rural areas of Guatemala to bring their students for free entry. “This also includes rides free of charge, and the students pay for a meal at the low price of about US$2,” Chajón says of the marketing incentive. “This guarantees them a day of happiness.” Contact Departments Editor Marion Hixon at mhixon@IAAPA.org.