† Bart de Boer Passed Away
Bart de Boer (born 1951), former director of De Efteling, died at the age of 69. Bart de Boer, the former Managing Director of Eindhoven Airport, was CEO of the Efteling, the largest theme park in the Netherlands, from June 2008 to September 2013. De Boer, who did not come directly from the theme park business, demonstrated his empathy and expertise in an impressive manner during his five years at the helm of the theme park, which was founded in 1952, and made a significant contribution to its development.
In the past, when investments had been made only in longer intervals, De Boer opted for a bolder strategy. Shortly after starting out in the Efteling, he was responsible for the realization of 'De Oost Station'. The “Bosrijk” Holiday Park was opened under his management at the end of 2009. This not only fulfilled a long-held wish for the park, but also meant that it was finally possible to attract more overnight guests – a prerequisite for a further significant increase in visitor numbers. Already in 2010, the former wooden coaster "Pegasus" was replaced by the double-wooden coaster "Joris en de Draak" under the leadership of Bart de Boer, what again attracted a lot of international attention. De Boer was also responsible for the realization of the "Raveleijn" show, which premiered in 2011 – including the construction of the large new office complex. Not only was he convinced that regular investment is essential for a theme park of such international renown, but the development of the park, which is also known as the 'World of Wonders', proved him right. The number of visitors to the park rose from 3.2 million in 2007 to 4.2 million in 2013, and since he initiated its year-round opening, more than five million guests have been visiting the enchanting theme park every year.
When he left the park, he left other visionary investment ideas behind: for example, in 2010 he announced that he wanted to invest in a spectacular new dark ride called "Hartenhof", but this was not realized. However, with a budget of around 35 million euros, an alternative was realized and opened in 2017 in the form of "Symbolica" in the Efteling (see EAP 5/2017). After leaving the Efteling, De Boer started working as director of the Academy of Tourism at NHTV in Breda (now the Breda University of Applied Sciences) and became a consultant in the theme park industry. De Boer did not talk about his illness in public. When the news of his death made the rounds on Saturday, there were many spontaneous expressions of sympathy and sorrow from the leisure industry. The amusement park industry has lost an enthusiastic companion. We mourn the death of Bart de Boer. (eap)
