MARKET REPORT: EUROPE
Parks are adopting dynamic pricing strategies, offering a wide range of ticketing options, and promoting online sales to maximise revenue. Accessibility remains a priority, with many parks providing flexible ticket packages, seasonal discounts, and digital ticketing solutions. For instance, Disney introduced discounted children’s tickets at its parks last October. The shift toward online ticketing and the use of technology-driven solutions have streamlined the purchasing process, making it more convenient for visitors.
A challenging year 2024 was not, however, without its challenges. Cost of living pressures dampened in-park spending. Admissions, rides and games accounted for the majority of revenue, but amusement and theme parks often charge customers for additional entertainment once they’ve entered the park. With escalating inflation, parks faced higher expenses, leading to increased ticket prices. Some consumers with weakened disposable incomes tightened their purse strings and avoided high-cost purchases.
Highlights across the region We began the year celebrating the record-breaking 12 months Toverland had enjoyed in the Netherland’s town of Sevenum. 1,165,000 people visited Toverland in the previous 12 months, an increase of 13% for the park following an expansion that included two new large and two smaller attractions (including Intamin’s ‘Dragonwatch’ – a 20-metre parachute tower and ‘Pixarus’, an interactive Sky Fly from Gerstlauer), plus extra play areas and various interactive experiences. The UK’s oldest theme park, Blackgang
Chine, received a new attraction – The Jolly Robin. This new, unique swinging ship ride immersed riders into the frightening
Emerald Park team
that required the local planning authority to decide whether the attraction could be retained beyond 2028. Emerald Park officially opened its first
fully themed and immersive land, Tir Na nOg, home to Europe’s longest intertwining family and thrill coasters, ‘Na Fianna Force’ and ‘The Quest. The opening marked a substantial investment of 22 million Euros at the 6.5-acre theme park and zoo. Momentum Leisure celebrated the
story of a haunted ship sunk by a large whale in a storm. By entering the whale’s mouth, visitors got to experience the tale from the perspective of the buried souls. An interesting collaboration was unveiled
between Lagotronics and the Dutch government. The Chocolate Factory combined state-of-the-art technology in an industrial environment designed to help visitors discover the world of food tech in a unique way. An Operator Room would offer 12 player consoles featuring levers, touchscreens, light effects and sounds effects to monitor the production process. The opening of the Damonen Gruft
(Demon’s Crypt) a compact (380 m2) dark ride produced by Alterface offered guests at Heide Park Resport, northern Germany’s largest theme park, an immersive plunge into a dangerous netherworld. It was good news for one of the UK’s most iconic visitor attractions - the
lastminute.com London Eye – as Lambeth Council confirmed that it could remain on London’s South bank. Councillors voted unanimously to support a recommendation from officers to discharge a condition attached to the 2003 planning permission
Grand Opening of its third theme park in Poland, Majaland Gdañsk. After the successful openings of Majaland Kownaty (2018) and Majaland Warsaw (2022), the Amsterdam-based developer and operator of theme parks strengthened its position in the growth market of Central and Eastern Europe by adding Majaland Gda sk to its portfolio. Fairytale Farm celebrated being recognised as England’s fastest-growing farm attraction in a VisitEngland survey. The attraction had already enjoyed a remarkable 130% increase in visitor numbers between 2019 and 2023 but reported a year-on-year increase of 74% over the previous 12 months. Fairytale Farm also received a Travellers’ Choice award from TripAdvisor, placing it among the top 10% of attractions worldwide based on reviews and ratings for the year. We got to see the first images from the
new amusement park, Bommelwereld during a presentation at Jora Vision’s
Fairytale Farm
PARK WORLD Handbook & Buyers’ Guide 2024/25
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