Waterpark Profile
parkworld-online.com
on-site restaurant, and also activates the (free) lockers. The Proslide, Whitewater and Murphy equipment
packages were installed as part of a design and build sub- contract by Aqua Leisure International, along with all the pool water treatment systems and the ride and feature hydraulics.
Atlantis reunited The park employs around 40 full-time staff including four duty managers and 20 lifeguards, many of who arrived with experience from Scarborough's existing indoor council-run pool.
Showing Park World around back in August was Joanna
Sykes, a former Atlantis operations manager who now serves as front-of-house and sales manager at Alpamare, working alongside former Atlantis colleague Vicki Jones, now Alpamare operations manager. Both are Scarborough born and bred. Sykes even learned to ride a bike on the site of the new waterpark! “I came out of the industry in 2002,” she tells us. After a
short spell with local amusement park Kinderland she spent time in her family's lodging business and then the last two years with Scarborough Borough Council. “There I was plodding along in social services and then one day I bumped into Vicki who told me about her new job at Alpamare. 'We really need you, you've got to come and join us!' she said, The rest is history.” Sykes says Alpamare offers “the best of both worlds”
thanks to its indoor/outdoor mix and is already having an impact on local tourism, extending the length of stay in the town. “Our family has seen it first hand at our pub/hotel in Scarborough.”
Though she harbours a dream to retire one day to sunnier climes, she is more than happy being part of the launch team at the area's hottest new family attraction: “We opened a little later than planned, but we've proved that we can do it and the first few weeks have been great. It's nice to have some of the team back together from Atlantis, and to benefit from the expertise offered by Alpamare. The directors have offered us a lot of input.” The fact that Scarborough has a waterpark again after all
these years is the result of much work between the local authority, developer Benchmark Leisure and Aqua Leisure International, who had been exploring options for a new waterpark ever since Atlantis closed and the North Bay development opportunity arose. “There were a number of aspects that had to be
addressed,” explains Aqua Leisure's Roger Currie, “from the site profile with its stunning location with its coastal catchment, to defining the required leisure mix and the visitor/local balance.”
Discussions were held with several potential operators, but Alpamare's brand, outlook and indoor/outdoor model was thought to be most suitable for Scarborough. “Alpamare have a flexibility of approach that enabled the subsequent negotiations with Scarborough Borough Council and Benchmark to deliver their objectives and maximise the opportunity for everyone on the project,” notes Currie. “We had been looking at several sites in the UK over the
last 10 years,” confirms Höfter. “Scarborough had always been on our list since Roger first brought it to our attention, being one of the most popular tourist destinations in the country.”
Branding challenge Introducing the Alpamare brand to British audiences presented a challenge, admits its CEO, but ultimately this was chosen over a more generic waterpark name for several reasons: “We had a lot of discussions with our brand agency and looked at various names – splash and wild, splash this, splash that – but then we decided we would chose the German name because although it's something people have to get used to, once they get used to it they remember it. After all, British people have got very used to Aldi and Lidl!” When Alpamare opened in Bad Tölz back in 1970, it
was described as bringing the sea to to the Alps. “Now we are bringing the Alps to the sea,” smiles Höfter. “We have had a very good start and are pleased with
the progress so far in Scarborough,” he adds. “Obviously we can't expect the same numbers now that the summer holidays have finished but we have already welcomed tens of thousands of visitors.” The park's CEO won't be drawn on an annual attendance target, but reports elsewhere suggest it's around the half million mark. Operating 365 days a year, and staying open each night until 10pm (9 on sundays), it will certainly clock up the hours. Visitors until now have come from as far afield as Leeds, Doncaster and Scotland, but the local market will surely be crucial in delivering repeat visits over the winter months. Adult admission is set at £19 (€21/$24), children are
£15 (€17/$19) and a family ticket is available for £60 (€68/$76). Currently there is no season pass on offer, but some kind of concession for locals is being considered. These prices are based on a four-hour visit, however guests may extend their stay for £1 per half hour, with a further 30 minutes for free if they eat in the restaurant. Perhaps it's best if they don't get in water straight afterwards though!
alpamare.co.uk
From the Alps
to North Africa Founded by Max Höfter (father of Anton) in 1970, the original Alpamare waterpark in the Bavarian spa town of Bad Tölz ceased operations last year, although a new development of some kind is planned for the 30,000 sq m site in future. Outside Germany, the brand lives on. Alpamare Bad Seedamm in Switzerland (
alpamare.ch) is operated under licence by Aspro. In the south of the country, the Höfter family still runs the large Splash & Spa (
splashespa.ch) waterpark in Rivera-Monteceneri, where it is featured as part of the wider Tamaro Park mountain resort Following the opening this summer of Alpamare Scarborough in England, plans are in place for the first Alpamare waterpark outside Europe, in Morocco. Set to open in June 2017, the fully outdoor park will be located in the beach resort of Saidia, on the border with Algeria. “The resort was originally
developed between 2000 and 2005 but fell on hard times,” notes Anton Höfter. “Things are now moving again following the intervention of pension funds controlled by the king, who wants to make it into a proper resort development. The waterpark, which we will manage, is part of those plans.” Höfter adds that he does not rule
out further ventures, and has been asked to do other projects in the UK, where an indoor waterpark revival has bsgun. “First of all we have to get Scarborough right,” he says, “but over time these projects learn to walk by themselves. As a family business though, we will be careful which projects we take on; we can't overstretch ourselves and run before we can walk.”
41
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