The Wheel in the Sky...

Cool downtown scene ...... Check
Great skyline ...... Check
Lots to do ...... Check
Fabulous hotels and restaurants ...... Check
Big ass Ferris Wheel ...... Che-Wh-Wh-What?

It seems a new addition to the list of destination development must-haves is a ferris wheel that casts its shadow on the city skyline. The trend is entirely global with the market leader clearly being the London Eye. These iconic attractions have clearly come a long way since the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago where George Washington Ferris unveiled his wheel. It is now to the point that several different businesses are offering wheels at sites around the world from Berlin to Singapore to Beijing.

Destinations planning to reinvent the wheel need to know that this is not necessarily a silver bullet attraction despite the success of some of these ventures. Orlando's version has experienced delays and Baghdad's (yes, that Baghdad) version is under contemplation. Only time will tell if the attraction is unique enough for the big wheel to keep on turning.