Bea is a journalist specialising in entertainment, attractions and tech with 15 years' experience. She has written and edited for publications including CNET, BuzzFeed, Digital Spy, Evening Standard and BBC. Bea graduated from King's College London and has an MA in journalism.
New York 's Metropolitan Museum of Art is the latest institution to announce an agreement with Yemen to care for and display two of the country's artefacts.
The Met is transferring ownership of two stone sculptures to Yemen, both dating from the third millennium BCE. However, the pieces will remain at the museum on loan and be prominently displayed until Yemen wants them to be returned.
The museum purchased the statue in 1998, while the mortar was a gift in 1999. Provenance research led by Met scholars has found that the works belong to Yemen.
"These compelling objects offer an important opportunity to present Yemeni culture – in dialogue with our collection of 5,000 years of art history – to The Met ’s audiences," said Max Hollein, the museum's director.
"We are grateful to have established such a collegial and sincere commitment to spotlighting these important works and look forward to working with the large Yemeni-American community in New York City to host a celebration of our new collaboration later this fall."
Mohammed Al-Hadhrami, the ambassador of Yemen to the US, said the country "is reclaiming ownership of its precious and priceless cultural heritage ".
"Due to the current situation in Yemen, it is not the appropriate time to return these artifacts back to our homeland," he added.
Yemen gets ownership of cultural heritage
"We are pleased to have these objects remain on loan with the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, one of the world's most prominent and prestigious cultural institutions."
Earlier this month, London’sV&Amuseum announced a similar agreement with Yemen to look after four ancient objects before they can be returned to the country.
This came after the Smithsonian’sNational Museum of Asian Art partnered with the Yemeni government to display looted artefacts.
Bea is a journalist specialising in entertainment, attractions and tech with 15 years' experience. She has written and edited for publications including CNET, BuzzFeed, Digital Spy, Evening Standard and BBC. Bea graduated from King's College London and has an MA in journalism.
The results of blooloop’s first business confidence pulse survey are in, revealing fascinating insights into the minds of leaders in the attractions industry.
The respondents are executive leadership, directors, or owners with responsibility for investment in their organisations across all sectors, including theme parks, zoos, museums, and immersive experiences worldwide.
The survey took place between December 2025 and the end of January 2026. [Clearly, recent events in the Middle East may significantly impact action, but we hope the results are still useful as an indication of how our industry leaders think about strategy in a turbulent world.]
Key takeaways
The overall message is one of cautious optimism, set against a backdrop of concern over geopolitics and global economics.
However, business leaders are signalling that they intend to invest, believing that the biggest risk in this uncertain and rapidly changing environment is complacency and failure to evolve.
Amid the noise of macro-instability, opportunities exist to deliver meaningful experiences to a public that remains willing to pay for high-quality, transformational entertainment.
Key takeaways include:
Cautious optimism despite global economic and political uncertainty
Investment paradox - overwhelming majority of leaders are looking to increase or maintain investment - the biggest risk is complacency in a rapidly changing world
Confidence that consumers will continue to value innovative, meaningful, high-quality experiences
Opportunities to utilise AI to create transformational experiences and streamline operations
Over half of leaders believe our industry is not doing enough to address the risk of climate change
Of the Oak Image credit Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew & Marshmallow Laser Feast
Cautious optimism
We asked respondents for an overall confidence rating (+5 being most optimistic and -5 being least) for 2026 - a “gut feeling”.
Overall, this averaged out to a cautiously optimistic +0.8. However, whilst most respondents fell somewhere in the middle, there were some polarised views, ranging from -4 to +5.
In particular, respondents based in the US were overall more pessimistic than average, and, perhaps unsurprisingly, showed the biggest polarisation.
Risk factors
External factors were the biggest drag on confidence. Almost every negative or neutral sentiment cited "macro-economic conditions" or the "geo-political situation".
Specific concerns included:
The US Administration and economy: multiple respondents cited uncertainty regarding the US economy, foreign policy, and tariffs as top concerns.
Cost of doing business: inflation and "higher costs" are squeezing the bottom line, leaving customers with "less spendable income".
Guest fatigue: one respondent warned of "guest fatigue" and a "rush to the lowest common denominator” with copy-cat experiences.
Investment paradox
Despite worry over economic and political instability, our business leaders remained more positive about opportunities and their own organisation’s potential to thrive. 77% of leaders are increasing (50%) or maintaining investment (27%).
Of the remainder, only 4% said they plan to actively reduce investment.
As one respondent noted, the biggest threat is "complacency," and the solution is "redefining connection". Another executive warned that believing "what worked before will continue to work now" is dangerous.
Opportunities
Opportunities noted included new markets, high-quality, meaningful experiences, and new ways of operating with AI.
Despite geopolitical fears, many organisations are looking to grow their physical footprint or enter entirely new regions. Specific regions noted were Saudi Arabia, Europe, and China. There is a move toward creating "destination 'Mecca' experiences" - global flagships that justify a dedicated trip.
Six Flags Qiddiya City
In addition, European cities were seen as sites for steady growth.
Quality came through as a key differentiating factor. Creating transformative “money can’t buy experiences”, as well as "cultivating meaningful cultural experiences” and "redefining connection" were highlighted as ways to cut through with consumers when disposable income is tight.
People still want IRL experiences, but the offer needs to be something more transformative rather than transactional.
AI was seen as an opportunity to innovate, both to streamline operations and to amplify meaning for guests.
Climate risk
54% of respondents thought the industry should be doing more to combat the impacts of climate change. However, 31% said they didn’t know whether the industry was doing enough, suggesting a knowledge gap among many executives.
The growing impact of extreme and unpredictable weather was noted as an increasing vulnerability for outdoor operations, one that is already being experienced.
There is also a growing awareness that sustainability is no longer a "nice to have" but a critical operational imperative and something that guests increasingly expect.
One respondent argued that if attractions do not redefine their value around conservation and community, they risk losing "public trust and generational engagement”.
In conclusion
As at the start of this year, leaders were optimistic that the public’s desire for high-quality experiences and opportunities in new markets would justify increased investment, despite a backdrop of economic and political uncertainty.
Whilst leaders are clear that turbulence seems the new normal, the best way to combat risk is to evolve.
Thank you to all our respondents who participated. We truly value your input. The blooloop business confidence pulse will return in 2027.
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The International Council of Museums (ICOM) has called for the protection of museums and cultural heritage sites amid the recent conflict in Iran, the Gulf region and the Eastern Mediterranean.
In a statement, ICOM said it is expressing "serious concern" over the conflict's humanitarian impact, as well as the risks facing museums and cultural heritage sites.
"We are alarmed by reports of serious damage to cultural sites in the region, confirmed by intergovernmental organisations such as UNESCO," it added.
ICOM said it is closely monitoring the situation alongside its national committees and partners in the region and internationally, "in line with its core commitment to the protection of cultural heritage".
"We remain attentive to the safety and well-being of our members in the affected areas as well as all professionals working to safeguard cultural heritage," ICOM added.
"ICOM underlines the need to respect international humanitarian law and to ensure the protection of civilians."
The organisation is calling on all parties to respect their obligations under the 1954 Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict and its protocols.
ICOM, which said it supports any statements published by its partner organisations, has reiterated its call to all parties to comply with international legal obligations to safeguard cultural heritage.
Reports of damage to cultural sites
It is also referring to the ICOM Statement for Peace, and its declaration on the protection of archives, libraries, museums and heritage places during armed conflicts and political instability.
"The destruction of heritage is not only a local tragedy; it is a loss for all humankind," ICOM said.
"We must come together, through dialogue, cooperation, and respect to preserve the cultural bridges that connect our shared past to a more peaceful future."
Last month, ICOM released the full programme for the ICOM UK 2026 Annual Conference, Museum Diplomacy in Action, which will be held in Oxford from 16 to 17 April.
Lead image: National Museum of Iran, Creative Commons
At the museum, visitors can engage with digital avatars of historical figures who shaped Saratoga Springs and the institution itself.
Using their smartphones, guests can chat with these AI figures, ask them questions, and explore the city's past.
In select exhibits, visitors can also speak directly to portrait-based avatars for an immersive, face-to-face experience with history.
The AI tour guide software was created in-house by the museum's director of communications, L.F. Leon, as part of a project to combine innovation and accessibility.
Among the AI tour guides are John Morrissey, who helped to establish Saratoga as a leading destination in American culture.
Morrissey founded the Canfield Casino (now home to the museum) and created the Saratoga Race Track.
AI-powered museum experiences
Another AI tour guide is Frank Leslie, a pioneering publisher and advocate for women’s suffrage, whose legacy contributed to national conversations around women’s rights.
Also appearing as an AI guide is civic leader and founder of the Saratoga Historical Society, Ellen Hardin Walworth, who played a pivotal role in shaping local and national history.
"This reopening marks an exciting new chapter for the Saratoga Springs History Museum," said the museum's executive director James Parillo.
"We are honoring our past while embracing the future, using innovative technology to create meaningful connections between our visitors and the people who shaped this city."
The AI tour guides are included with museum admission and available to all guests.
The Black Country Living Museum (BCLM) in Dudley, England, has announced three Peaky Blinders nights scheduled throughout 2026, with the first on 14 March.
Visitors to BCLM can walk in the footsteps of Birmingham's most infamous gang, as it was used as a filming location for several scenes in the hit TV drama. Now, with the release of the film The Immortal Fan, the museum is running a series of special evening events.
The museum offers visitors filming location maps, and Blue Plaques can be found around the site.
Charlie’s Yard is the most iconic backdrop, appearing in all six series of the show. First introduced in episode one, it quickly became a central setting. In truth, it is the Museum's boat dock and anchor forge, rich with regional industrial history.
Additionally, the canal towpath has witnessed several tense moments, acting as a drop-off point for characters visiting the Yard. The Canal Street bridge also became a key meeting spot for Freddie and Ada in season one.
The museum's forges and metalworking shops have experienced their own dramas, including shootouts.
The Peaky Blinders nights will include live entertainment, including music, games, and interactive performances, while they explore the immersive atmosphere and enjoy proper Black Country food and drink.
Describing the 16+ event, BCLM says:
"Stay alert for stories unfolding all around, but watch your step as you never know who might be lurking around the corner. Keep your wits about you and don’t forget, if you spot something unusual – you didn’t see anything, alright?
"Dress to impress in your finest threads and frocks as you wind your way through our historic streets. Enjoy incredible live music, witness wild entertainment and tuck in to fantastic food."
Last month, BCLM also announced that it is expanding its dog-friendly days through the rest of this year. Amid a growing trend for pet-friendly experiences in visitor attractions, the trial initiative was launched in November 2025.
SSA Group has been working on a transformative approach to operations. By weaving its signature 452 Hospitality ethos, rooted in a legacy of welcome and human connection, into Scout, a new AI-driven operating system, the company demonstrates how AI can enhance rather than replace the human side of hospitality.
For nearly 60 years, SSA Group has been a staple in the cultural attractions sector, collaborating with zoos, aquariums, and museums to provide comprehensive guest services. As a family-owned business, the company has continually adapted, but its core mission remains centred on a simple, powerful concept: hospitality.
We speak with CEO Sean McNicholas and vice president of people and culture, Jason Stover, to unpack Scout's mission and learn how it can open the door to both greater efficiency and more memorable moments.
SSA reimagines the industry
Starting by looking at the bigger picture, McNicholas says: “What I love about SSA and our family business is our curiosity for continuing to reimagine the industry.
"Those are pillars of our plan. We approach 60 years as a family business in 2030, and what’s exciting to us is continuing to innovate, not just our business, but the guest experience for our clients and partners.”
Sean McNicholas and Jason Stover
This culture of curiosity is what prompted McNicholas and Stover to investigate the potential of artificial intelligence long before it became the industry buzzword it is today.
"Five or six years ago, Jason came to me as one of the early adopters of AI. We started talking about it, and the more we looked at tools like AI, we asked a very simple question: what one, two, or three areas could AI positively impact our business?"
For SSA, the goal was not to replace staff or remove the human element from the museum or zoo experience through automation. Instead, the emphasis was on liberation.
"The thing that became clear was how tools like AI could help us become more efficient with data, back-end systems, and administrative work," adds McNicholas.
"If we can be more efficient there, we can spend more time meeting guests where they need us, which is on the front line.”
The outcome of this exploration is Scout, an AI-assisted tool and ‘unified intelligence layer’ designed specifically for cultural attractions.
Scout is positioned not as a replacement for human workers, but as a co-pilot. It is an operating system that gathers data from across the industry to provide real-time insights. Unlike general-purpose AI tools, Scout has been built for the sector's operational realities.
"AI is trending now, but it’s not new," says Stover.
"I’ve been with SSA for almost 30 years, and my journey with AI in this company has existed since day one. When I first became a manager, we were already experimenting with predictive analytics, trying to forecast attendance and staffing.
"That was AI at the time."
However, the leap to generative AI offered a new opportunity to support SSA's secret sauce: its people.
Stover employs a cinematic analogy to describe Scout’s role within the workforce:
"I compare it to Tony Stark," he says. "He’s brilliant, but he doesn’t become Iron Man until he has Jarvis. That’s what Scout is. It’s a co-pilot that takes away routine, monotonous work so our people can focus on what matters."
Real-time, useful insights
Designed to support guest-journey walkthroughs, the platform collects real-time observations and converts them into actionable insights tailored to each attraction.
The tool was created in accordance with SSA’s core belief that technology should never replace connection; it should enhance it. The idea is that data and design can collaborate to create memorable guest experiences.
This supports SSA’s wider focus on innovation, which aims to turn curiosity into meaningful change that advances partners' missions. By automating data analysis, Scout helps operators make more informed decisions about designs, platforms, and revenue strategies.
"Guest expectations are evolving faster than ever," says Stover. "Scout was built to meet this moment as a tech-forward AI tool that allows us to keep experiences deeply personal.”
The heart of the system: 452 Hospitality
Although the technology is impressive, the engine driving Scout remains entirely human. At the centre of Scout’s design is 452 Hospitality, the cultural ethos that defines SSA Group’s purpose and character.
Named after 452 Leyden Street, the Denver home where SSA’s founders first lived and practised hospitality, 452 has since become both a numeric and philosophical code for what the company stands for: a spirit of welcome, belonging, and genuine human connection.
At 452 Leyden Street, anyone could come in for a meal, a chat, or a place to rest. And that sense of genuine warmth now lives on in every SSA service encounter.
Today, 452 Hospitality reflects SSA’s ongoing dedication to creating authentic, memorable moments that uplift guests, partners, and colleagues alike.
That same spirit guides Scout’s purpose: rather than replacing people, the AI system aims to enable staff to embody 452 Hospitality more fully, freeing them from administrative burdens so they can provide the personal engagement that makes guests feel welcome and valued.
In practice, this involves a particular method for engaging with guests and monitoring operations. Scout develops a digital framework for this using the SOQ model: Observation, Opinion, and Question.
"Scout is being trained by the entire zoo, aquarium, and cultural attraction industry," Stover says. "Every conversation, every audit, every partner insight gets ingested and shapes how Scout operates.”
Within the Scout ecosystem, there are various ‘agents’ dedicated to different tasks, such as labour optimisation and inventory management. However, the ‘452 agent’ is unique.
"It has vision and voice capabilities. As you walk through operations, it analyses images and observations in real time and evaluates them against our hospitality standards. It acts as a co-pilot for auditors and operators, making observations, offering insights, and matching them with best practices and solutions.
“You might miss something as a human, but Scout won’t.”
Scout in action
The deployment of Scout is already producing tangible outcomes, progressing from theoretical ideas to solving complex on-site issues. This highlights SSA’s focus on turning insights into action by combining data, technology, and human connection.
McNicholas emphasises that the team is "continually evolving Scout by testing it across multiple attractions," noting that "every new site adds more data and sharper insights.”
Stover offers an example of Scout’s operational intelligence in action from a working session with the Detroit Zoo. The team was exploring a complex “what-if” scenario: opening a new entrance near a new exhibit while navigating compliance considerations, budget constraints, and a nearby rail track.
“Using Scout as a sandbox alongside their team, we pressure-tested the constraints, surfaced relevant regulatory considerations, explored alternative approaches like repurposed shipping containers, and generated rough-order cost ranges. It was less about committing to a final plan and more about accelerating discovery.”
“What’s exciting is that every audit surfaces a new real-world question, and we ask: Should this become a new sub-agent? That’s how Scout keeps evolving.”
Another success story comes from the Dallas Zoo, where Scout was instrumental in helping the zoo team explore their own AI journey while SSA conducted an inter-department relationship audit.
Scout is tailored to each user’s psychology
What makes Scout different from typical business AI tools is its incorporation of behavioural psychology. Acknowledging that strong operations don't happen by accident, SSA has combined leadership development with its technological roadmap.
Stover, whose background is in people and culture, insisted that if they were to create co-pilots, they had to understand the humans who would use them. So, instead of providing generic recommendations, Scout adapts its guidance to each leader's thinking and communication style.
"One of the first things we decided was that if we were going to build AI co-pilots, they needed to integrate Behavioural Essentials," Stover says. "We already use behavioural assessments that give leaders a 21-point profile, with strengths, tendencies, and blind spots. We’ve now incorporated that into Scout.”
This means that when a manager logs into Scout, the system is tailored to their specific personality profile.
"It understands how I communicate, where I might need softer language, or where I might need more structure," Stover says.
He adds that McNicholas served as the ‘guinea pig’ for this feature:
"We merged his traits and blind spots into Scout as he was working through our future roadmap. Scout isn’t just an AI tool; it understands your psychological makeup and helps cover your blind spots as you operate in your role.”
The future of the workforce
A common concern about AI is the risk of job displacement. However, SSA’s leadership firmly states that their investment in technology aims to safeguard, not eliminate, their workforce.
"As CEO, culture is my responsibility, and culture starts with values," McNicholas says. "Hospitality, human-to-human interaction, has always been our foundation. I don’t want a world of all robots and automation. I love people too much.
“That’s why Scout exists. It helps us live what we love to do: creating special moments for people.”
Stover shares this view, considering AI as a safeguard against the decline of interpersonal skills observed in other industries:
"We have to be proactive in shaping the future. Many companies will use AI purely to impact the bottom line. That’s their choice. But SSA has always been people-focused. We’re adopting AI safely and intentionally to better our people. As interpersonal skills decline elsewhere, we’re protecting them by freeing people up to reconnect.”
The efficiency gains are clear. Stover notes that tasks like scheduling, which previously took hours to analyse against weather and sales history, now happen in seconds. "That frees managers up to spend time with their team. That’s the point.
“We’re hospitality people. We want to be in front of guests, not behind a screen.”
A vision for 2030
Looking ahead, SSA has set bold goals for the next five years. As the company approaches its 60th anniversary in 2030, the vision is for a fully enabled workforce where each employee has a digital partner.
"By 2030, every person in our company will have a co-pilot that helps them be more efficient," predicts McNicholas. "We’ll also bring a unified revenue strategy to attractions, something the industry lacks.”
He also believes the metrics of success are shifting. It is no longer enough to simply count heads at the gate:
"The future metrics won’t just be attendance. They’ll be revenue, guest experience, and fulfilment," he says.
"There’s more competition than ever, and we have to be the place where guests leave thinking, 'That felt right.' To do that, our people need tools like Scout so they can spend more time creating those moments.
“That’s how we reimagine the industry.”
The future of hospitality
Summing up the benefits, COO Travis Kight says:
"AI is the future of hospitality, but not in the way most imagine. We see AI as a co-pilot, not a replacement, designed to protect the human connection that defines our industry.
“Tools like Scout allow us to turn data into real-time insights, freeing our teams from repetitive tasks so they can focus on creating unforgettable guest experiences.
"As Sean mentioned, by 2030, our vision is for every team member to have a digital partner that amplifies their strengths, covers blind spots, and helps us deliver hospitality at a level the industry has never seen.
“AI isn’t about automation. It’s about empowerment.”
As SSA Group looks towards the attractions of tomorrow, its message is clear: the path to the future is built on data, but the goal remains human connection.
By anchoring Scout in 452 Hospitality's philosophy of creating meaningful, human-centred moments, SSA isn’t just adopting AI for efficiency. It’s enhancing its ability to deliver heartfelt experiences that define its brand and shape the future of the guest experience.
"That’s the foundation of Scout," Stover says. "If a tool doesn’t protect hospitality or make us better people-facing operators, it doesn’t get built.”
Of the Oak Image credit Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew & Marshmallow Laser Feast 
Six Flags Qiddiya City 
