Observation towers are among the world’s most visited tourist assets. Yet for many operators, the experience has remained largely unchanged for decades – a lift, a view, and a gift shop. As global tourism becomes more competitive and experience-led, this passive model is increasingly struggling to maintain visitor engagement and growth.
AJ Hackett Bungy New Zealand has developed SkyRide, a new vertical adventure system designed to transform towers and landmark structures into high-impact visitor destinations.
Combining a lift experience, vertical drop ride, and SkyJump, SkyRide offers a compelling way for operators to enhance visitor engagement while introducing new revenue streams. Designed to deliver both a strong guest experience and commercial performance, it opens up new opportunities for towers around the world to add a signature adventure attraction.
Built with nearly 40 years of experience in designing and safely operating vertical adventure experiences, SkyRide has been developed by the AJ Hackett Bungy NZ team and engineered in collaboration with experienced engineering partners. The result is a system focused on safety, reliability, and long-term operational performance.
SkyRide has been designed as a scalable solution, capable of operating at heights of up to 600 metres. This significantly expands the number of towers globally that can host a premium adventure experience, creating new opportunities for international partnerships and installations in key tourism markets.
A key focus of the system is its commercial model. Compared with traditional installations, SkyRide offers improved reliability, lower operational and maintenance requirements, and a streamlined approach to long-term operation. These factors make it easier to integrate into existing tower infrastructure while delivering a high-impact experience.
The system centres around two core experiences. In SkyRide mode, participants are lifted up the structure before experiencing a high-adrenaline vertical drop ride, available as both a single and tandem experience. In SkyJump mode, participants step from height for a controlled vertical descent, with different departure modes creating variation in the experience.
SkyRide has also been designed with flexibility in mind. It can operate in a SkyRide-only configuration, removing the need for additional jump infrastructure. This reduces one of the key installation constraints for many towers, particularly where deck space is limited, and enables a wider range of structures to host the experience.
For many towers globally, observation deck visitation has plateaued or declined as new entertainment options emerge. Introducing an attraction like SkyRide provides an opportunity to reinvigorate these assets, adding a new layer of excitement while increasing dwell time and generating additional revenue streams. Each experience also creates highly shareable moments, helping to drive ongoing visibility for both the attraction and its location.
For more than three decades, AJ Hackett Bungy New Zealand has led the world in commercial adventure tourism. SkyRide builds on this experience, supporting the next generation of tower-based attractions through proven operational expertise and strategic partnerships.
For more information:
David Mitchell
CEO, AJ Hackett Bungy New Zealand
David@bungy.co.nz
