Delmenhorst / Germany: GraftTherme in the Red

Delmenhorst, Germany’s new thermal spa facility GraftTherme (operated by BAD Bäderbetriebsgesellschaft mbH, part of the SWD-Group Delmenhorst) was opened to the public at the end of August last year. According to the media, after the operation of only a few months, GraftTherme will be confronted with a deficit of 2.7 million Euros for 2012 of which 1.5 million Euros can be covered by the annual subsidy of the city of Delmenhorst. The result is a difference of 1.2 million Euros which cannot be raised by the operator alone and the city has already been guaranteeing 23 million Euros for the facility. One of the reasons is said to be the poor attendance figures of the sauna area. In addition, staff costs for employees of the sauna area are said to be higher than originally planned and too high energy costs caused during the first months of operation are another reason for the bad results of the facility. The opening of the nearby new sauna and wellness complex SaunaHuus in Ganderkesee (cf. EAP 3/2012) probably doesn’t make the situation easier for Delmenhorst’s GraftTherme. (eap)