Global Leisure & Entertainment (GLE), an international consultancy specialising in leisure, entertainment, and hospitality development, is bringing its international expertise closer to Latin America as the region enters an important new phase of leisure and entertainment development.
Ambitious leisure destinations begin long before the first attraction is built. They begin with understanding a market, recognising its potential and making the right commercial, technical and operational decisions to turn opportunity into a destination built for long-term success.
Across the region, new parks, attractions, and entertainment destinations are being explored; existing venues are evolving; and leisure is becoming increasingly connected to tourism, mixed-use development, and broader economic growth.
For GLE, this momentum offers an opportunity to bring its international experience to a market where ambitious ideas are taking shape and early decisions will be critical to long-term success.
GLE is strengthening its regional presence through a new collaboration with the Colombian Association of Attractions and Amusement Parks (Asociación Colombiana de Atracciones y Parques de Diversiones - ACOLAP).
Formalised during the XVI ACOLAP Conference & X LAAE 2026 in Cali, Colombia, the collaboration brings together GLE's technical expertise and international perspective with ACOLAP's knowledge of the Colombian market, regional relationships and industry network.
GLE showcases its global expertise at ACOLAP, connecting with the Latin American market and exploring new possibilities for leisure and entertainment development
This reflects the consultancy's wider approach to development: understand the opportunity first, establish what the market can sustain, and then connect feasibility, design, delivery and operations around a clear commercial and operational vision.
Bringing international expertise closer to Latin America
GLE works across the development journey of leisure and entertainment projects, bringing together capabilities in feasibility studies, design, project management, supply chain management and operational advisory.
See also: Redefining the turnkey development model with Global Leisure & Entertainment
This integrated perspective becomes particularly valuable in emerging and rapidly developing markets.
A successful leisure destination is rarely the result of a single great attraction or ambitious design. Its long-term performance depends on a much wider set of decisions.
For instance, whether demand has been accurately understood, whether investment is proportionate to the opportunity, whether the design supports efficient operations, whether procurement and delivery are coordinated effectively, and whether the destination can provide a safe and compelling guest experience once it opens.
The ACOLAP institutional bulletin describes GLE's contribution as spanning the planning, assessment, structuring, design, development, and support of leisure and entertainment projects.
Rather than treating feasibility, design, delivery, and operations as separate exercises, GLE connects decisions across each stage. As a result, the destination remains aligned with the original commercial and operational rationale. That becomes increasingly important as projects grow in scale and complexity.
A market with significant potential
GLE's increased focus on Latin America comes at a time when the fundamentals for leisure development are increasingly encouraging.
Colombia is an interesting example. Its large and diverse population, expanding cities, strong tourism potential, varied destinations, and growing demand for family experiences provide favourable conditions for new entertainment concepts and larger-scale developments.
Similar opportunities are emerging elsewhere across Latin America, where leisure projects are being considered as tools to transform destinations, stimulate local economies, and create new reasons to visit.
The scale of the XVI ACOLAP Conference & X LAAE 2026 reflected that momentum.
More than 550 industry professionals gathered in Cali alongside 71 exhibitors and 35 speakers. The event connected operators, investors, developers, suppliers, manufacturers, consultants, government representatives, academics, and international specialists to examine the opportunities and challenges shaping leisure development across Colombia and Latin America.
Guillermo Quesada, regional director for LATAM at GLE, participates in an interactive session at ACOLAP
GLE participated as both an exhibitor and speaker, using the conference not only to strengthen its relationships within the regional ecosystem but also to contribute its development perspective to the wider industry conversation.
Through the participation of Australia Garcia, director of consultancy and development at GLE, in the speaker programme, GLE highlighted development opportunities within the region and the importance of structuring projects rigorously from their earliest stages.
Reflecting on the opportunities this collaboration creates for the region, Garcia says:
“This partnership represents a practical bridge between the strength of the Colombian and Latin American industry and the international experience required to take projects from opportunity to successful operation.
"Together with GLE, ACOLAP aims to give members greater access to specialized knowledge, proven methodologies, global networks, and technical support across feasibility, development, safety, operations, and performance optimization.
“Our objective is not to import models without adaptation, but to combine global best practices with local realities and talent. In doing so, we can strengthen existing operators, support new investment, develop local capabilities, and position Latin America as an increasingly competitive and influential leisure and entertainment market.
That message sits at the heart of GLE's approach: opportunity creates the reason to explore a project. Rigorous development determines whether that opportunity can become a successful destination.
Starting with feasibility, not assumptions
GLE says that one of the most important questions in any new market comes before design: what should actually be developed here?
International leisure development can sometimes begin with a concept that has succeeded elsewhere and an assumption that the same model can simply be transferred to another market. But destinations do not operate in isolation.
Consumer spending, population characteristics, tourism flows, infrastructure, labour markets, regulation, cultural preferences and competition can dramatically change the economics of a leisure project.
This is why GLE places significant emphasis on feasibility.
Market research, demand analysis, competitive assessment and financial modelling help establish the parameters within which a project can realistically succeed. These findings can then influence decisions around attraction mix, capacity, investment, pricing and operating models.
The same principle emerged strongly during ACOLAP 2026, where knowledge-based decision-making was identified as fundamental to new development. The conference highlighted market research, demand analysis, realistic financial modelling and an understanding of consumers and territory as critical foundations for developing and expanding projects.
Connecting development from concept to operations
A strong feasibility study is only valuable if its conclusions continue to influence the project. That is where GLE's broader development capabilities become particularly relevant.
Once an opportunity is established, design decisions must respond to projected capacity and guest behaviour. Procurement must reflect technical requirements, budgets, and programme objectives. Project management must coordinate with multiple stakeholders around a common delivery strategy.
Industry leaders and professionals exchange insights about the future of leisure and attractions across Latin America at ACOLAP
Operational planning must ensure that what is being created can ultimately be staffed, maintained and operated effectively.
The objective is continuity. A project should not begin with one commercial proposition, evolve into something fundamentally different during design and construction, and only confront its operational realities shortly before opening.
GLE's integrated approach is designed to maintain that connection.
By bringing together feasibility, design, project management, supply chain management and operational advisory, the consultancy can consider not simply how a destination will be delivered, but how it will perform once it becomes an operating business.
International standards, adapted intelligently
GLE's international experience also gives it access to methodologies and practices developed across different leisure markets.
But applying international expertise effectively requires more than transferring an established model from one country to another.
This is one area where collaboration with ACOLAP becomes particularly valuable.
ACOLAP brings an established understanding of Colombia's commercial, regulatory, cultural, and operational environment, together with direct relationships across operators, investors, suppliers, authorities, and other stakeholders. GLE contributes international experience and specialist development capabilities.
Together, these perspectives enable GLE to connect international standards and methodologies with the realities of individual markets. The company believes localisation means determining how to deliver international standards successfully within the economic, cultural, and operational conditions of a particular destination.
A technically ambitious project that does not match its market is unlikely to reach its full potential. Equally, adapting to local conditions should not mean compromising the principles required to create safe, efficient and sustainable destinations.
The objective is to find the right balance between the two.
Designing with operations in mind
This connection becomes especially important when projects move from planning into design. A leisure destination can look exceptional on paper while creating significant challenges once it begins operating.
Design decisions can influence guest circulation, capacity, back-of-house requirements, maintenance access, staffing, safety procedures, and revenue opportunities.
Addressing these considerations earlier lets operational thinking shape the destination, rather than adapting the operation around a completed design.
ACOLAP’s exhibition floor brings together industry innovators, suppliers, and professionals, creating a dynamic space for discovery, networking, and collaboration
This is central to GLE's development philosophy. The question is not simply whether something can be built, but whether it can be operated successfully, safely, and commercially once built.
That distinction can significantly affect a destination's long-term performance.
Safety as part of successful development
Safety was another major theme at ACOLAP 2026.
The conference positioned safety as a culture rather than an isolated operational responsibility, highlighting the importance of robust processes, preventive maintenance, continuous training, and operational leadership in protecting visitors and strengthening trust.
This reinforces the importance of considering operations throughout the development journey.
International standards provide an important foundation, but creating a safe destination ultimately depends on whether those standards translate into everyday practice.
Teams need to understand procedures. Managers need systems through which to reinforce them. Maintenance and operations need to work together. Safety considerations need to influence how attractions and facilities are planned long before guests arrive.
Through its collaboration with ACOLAP, GLE can contribute international methodologies, specialist knowledge, and technical capabilities while working with regional stakeholders to ensure those practices suit local operating environments.
The partnership specifically identifies knowledge transfer, training, technical assistance, and specialised cooperation as areas that can strengthen teams and organisations across the sector.
From attractions to sustainable destinations
GLE's approach also extends beyond the physical attraction itself. Successful destinations need to understand the complete guest journey and the organisation responsible for delivering it.
The theme of ACOLAP 2026, “From Customers to Fans: The Path to Connecting with Brand Emotion,” reflected the industry's increasing focus on creating lasting relationships with visitors rather than simply generating transactions.
The conference highlighted that every interaction before, during, and after a visit contributes to the brand experience. It also emphasised that the visitor experience begins with the employee experience: committed and empowered teams are better positioned to create memorable moments and lasting emotional connections.
Angela Díaz - executive director, ACOLAP, and Andrés Vanegas - president of the board, ACOLAP, share perspectives, exchange knowledge, and highlight opportunities shaping the future of tourism and attractions
These considerations should not begin shortly before opening. Staffing, training, guest journeys, service expectations, and operational systems help determine whether the destination conceived during development can ultimately deliver on its promise.
An attraction may encourage someone to visit once. A well-planned and well-operated destination gives them a reason to return.
GLE on the ground in Latin America
GLE's participation in ACOLAP 2026 provided an opportunity to move beyond analysing the region from a distance.
As an exhibitor, the company engaged directly with operators, investors, developers, suppliers and institutional representatives. As a speaker, it contributed its international perspective to discussions around the region's development opportunities and the importance of rigorous project structuring.
Those conversations are particularly important to GLE's international approach. Entering a new market is not simply about identifying favourable demographics or locating investment opportunities. It means understanding the existing ecosystem.
Who is developing projects? Where are investors seeing opportunities? What challenges are operators encountering? How are consumer expectations changing? Where could international experience add genuine value?
GLE's collaboration with ACOLAP creates a closer connection to the organisations and decision-makers who can answer those questions.
A platform for GLE's regional growth
ACOLAP brings deep knowledge of Colombia's attractions industry and relationships across the regional value chain to the collaboration. That creates an important platform through which its international capabilities can become more accessible to developers, investors and operators within the region.
The collaboration can support opportunities from early identification through project development and operational strengthening, while facilitating access to international methodologies, standards and specialist expertise.
GLE itself describes the relationship as a two-way bridge: connecting international expertise with the needs and opportunities of Colombia and Latin America while bringing the region's knowledge, growth and potential to the global stage.
Its ambition is to combine its experience with regional intelligence to determine what each project requires.
As ACOLAP explains: “This partnership represents much more than a cooperation agreement: it represents the opportunity to connect capabilities, knowledge, and experiences across different markets to contribute to the growth of our industry.
"At ACOLAP, we strongly believe in the value of building bridges between the region and the global industry. We have enormous potential, new projects, highly experienced operators, and investment opportunities that can be strengthened through access to international knowledge and best practices.
"Together with GLE, we aim to foster an increasingly professional, safe, innovative, sustainable, and competitive industry, creating new opportunities for our members and contributing to positioning the region within the global leisure and entertainment ecosystem.”
ACOLAP’s presence at the exhibition creates a dedicated space for industry connection, collaboration, and engagement across the attractions community
GLE sees the relationship with ACOLAP as an opportunity to help foster a more professional, safe, innovative, sustainable, and competitive industry while strengthening Latin America's position within the global leisure and entertainment ecosystem.
Bringing projects to life in Latin America
The collaboration signed in Cali is a starting point. Next steps are expected to include defining a work plan, identifying priority opportunities and connecting technical capabilities with projects requiring structuring, evaluation, planning, optimisation or expansion.
Latin America has ambitious developers, experienced operators, growing consumer demand, tourism potential and an increasingly connected leisure and entertainment ecosystem.
What will determine the success of its next generation of destinations is how effectively those opportunities translate into projects that perform commercially, operationally, and experientially over the long term.
Through its capabilities across feasibility studies, design, project management, supply chain management and operational advisory, GLE can support projects from the earliest assessment of an opportunity through the decisions that shape development and ultimately influence operations.
The partnership with ACOLAP strengthens that proposition by bringing GLE closer to the regional knowledge, relationships and opportunities required to apply its international expertise effectively.
It creates an opportunity to contribute meaningfully to the next chapter of leisure and entertainment development across Latin America by connecting international expertise with the region's realities, opportunities, and ambitions.
From establishing feasibility and shaping design to managing delivery, strengthening supply chains, and advising operations, GLE brings together the expertise needed to help ambitious concepts become commercially sound, operationally resilient, and sustainable destinations built to succeed for the long term.
GLE recently shared how it has played a crucial role in driving the operational readiness of Herding Grounds at Aquarabia - the Kingdom's first home-grown water park, surf park, white water rafting and canyoneering park, a development by Qiddiya Investment Company (QIC).
