SeaWorld Entertainment just shared some bad news with their investors. Both attendance and revenue were down in the third quarter of this year.
SeaWorld said its attendance and revenues were down about 10 percent in the third quarter, compared to the same period last year. The company saw 721,0000 fewer visitors enter the gates of SeaWorld parks, nationwide. The greatest loss on the company's balance sheet came in net income, which was down 16 percent.
It has become a familiar story for the company that has one of its largest theme parks in San Diego. SeaWorld has seen dropping attendance for the past three years. The company's declining fortunes have been linked to the 2013 documentary "Blackfish," which criticized SeaWorld for keeping killer whales in captivity.
This year's third quarter losses were partly due to major hurricanes that temporarily shut down SeaWorld's Florida parks. But executives admit that "public perception" of SeaWorld has reduced sales in San Diego and elsewhere.
Company CEO Joel Manby said the company will address the issue of public perception with its new national ad campaign, called "From Park to Planet."
"That is specifically designed to address perception issues, by conveying Seaworld's commitment to helping to protect and save the world's animals and oceans," Manby said in a conference call.
The ad campaign will be costly, but Manby said cost-cutting in other areas will make it possible. Last month, SeaWorld announced it would cut 350 jobs.
