Park News
parkworld-online.com
Scandinavian success Parks celebrate record-breaking season
Three Scandinavian amusement parks (and we are still waiting for the results from some of the others) have reported record-breaking attendance in 2013. At Gröna Lund, which celebrated its 130th anniversary this season in Stockholm, over 1.5 million (1,500,380) visits were made to this popular waterfront property. These results mean that the Swedish park has increased attendance by 50% in just five years. Season pass sales were also at an all time high. The season came to a close on 29 September. “We knew we had an exciting season to look forward to when we opened in April,” confesses Gröna Lund CEO Magnus Widell, citing Europe’s tallest Star Flyer (new for 2013) and a strong programme of concerts as major contributors to the success. “All the investments we have made in recent years in new attractions,
food and beverage, the park scenery, entertainment and our staff have really paid off.” A record-breaking Halloween event helped Djurs Sommerland near Aarhus, Denmark, finish on a high with a total of 752,183 guests – 20% up on 2012. Staged from 12 to 20 October, Magisk Halloween (see last issue) attracted more than 65,000 guests. The 2013 season commences on 10 May. “An important reason for this year’s attendance record is of course our opening of Juvelen, Denmark’s longest rollercoaster and Europe’s only double launch coaster,” notes Djurs CEO Henrik B Nielsen. “The Intamin ride has been a great success among families who find it is both fun and thrilling.”
Elsewhere in Denmark Fårup Sommerland in North Jutland attracted 656,904 visitors this year, making 2013 the best season in its 38-year
HB Leisure goes Global
HB Leisure has been awarded the games concession at the Fantasy Island amusement area within Dubai’s Global Village. HB is operating a total of 16 midway games and an extensive offering of coin-operated
Edward Mellors (Mellors Group) at Global Village with HB Leisure’s Eddie Lehart (right)
amusements at the event, which started last month and runs through until 1 March, 2014. HB Leisure has created some bespoke new buildings for the enterprise and introduced four brand
new games alongside favourites like the Fried Frogs, Cat Rack and Lobster Pot. More than 50 local staff have been hired for the five-month run, together with a dozen experienced games managers and team leaders drawn from HB’s European operations. Headquartered in North Wales, the company already runs games in parks, zoos and other attractions in the UK, USA, Germany, Italy, Holland, Belgium, France, Spain, Denmark, South Africa, Malaysia, Abu Dhabi, Bahrain, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia. Qatar and Oman. Its track record in Dubai goes back 16 years, and it also has experience of running a number of fun fair/festival style events in the Emirate. Fantasy Island is being run for the first time this year by the UK-based Mellor Group, which took over the Global Village ride concession from a local operator. The event features a Coney Island theme and around 30 rides and attractions, including a Cyclone spinning coaster, surrounded by wooden decking – bringing the boardwalk to the desert. Elsewhere in the Global Village, visitors can enjoy a wide range of shopping, dining and entertainment experiences. Located on the Creek (old) side of Dubai, it has been a popular local event since 1997.
globalvillage.ae 20 NOVEMBER 2013
Eclipse (Star Flyer) enhances the sky- linefurther at Gröna Lund
history. The figure eclipses the previous record set in 2011 by 15,000. Nearly 420,000 rides were taken on the Orkanen Suspended Family Coaster by Vekoma, which played a large part in delivering this year’s high attendance. The six- month-long season ran from April through until October.
Fish appointed to senior
marketing role at Sea Life Merlin Entertainments has appointed Jon Fish as the new head of marketing for its global portfolio of Sea Life centres. Jon, aged 38, took up the post on 28 October after five years as marketing director for Merlin’s Chessington World of Adventures near London, and previously worked with Phones4U and the comedy club chain Jongleurs. Sea Life is the world’s larrgest aquarium brand, with 43 Sea Life centres and sanctuaries on four continents. Jon, who will be based at Merlin’s head offices in Poole, Dorset (England) takes over the global marketing role from Mark Oakley. Some of Fish’s other predecessors in the role include Mark Fisher and Alex Pike. We kid you not!
Jon Fish BALPPA brightens up October
A group of around 70 BALPPA members and staff enjoyed an autumn get- together in the picturesque English county of North Yorkshire. The Regional Meeting on 15/16 October used the city of York as its base, and also took in visits to Flamingo land theme park/zoo and Web Adventure Park (pictured), as well as a competition at Pike Hills Golf Club. BALPPA is the British Association of Leisure Parks, Piers & Attractions.
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74