Germany: FORT FUN Reports Highly Successful 2022 Season

FORT FUN Abenteuerland near Bestwig in Germany’s Sauerland region is pleased to report one of the most successful seasons in many years in terms of visitor numbers: Especially in the months of July and August this year, numerous guests have been welcomed, on the record days even more than 5,000 people – “more than in 20 years”, as the regional family park communicates. Especially against the backdrop of staff shortage, the park is proud of this result. “Strictly speaking, according to the current status, we have achieved the best result in this century. This first season after two years shaped by the Covid pandemic showed a kind of catch-up effect, and the sunniest summer since weather records was of course also a unique factor. So we can’t and won’t assume that this will simply continue for the coming years without working hard on ourselves and our offering, even though we have a great new attraction up our sleeve for the 2023 season,” enthuses FORT FUN managing director Andreas Sievering.

In order to be prepared for the first regular season after two years of restricted operations, the park had already developed and implemented new staff recruitment strategies last fall, which proved to be successful. Among other things, the visual language in job advertisements was brought to the fore and the texts included were reduced to a minimum in order to increasingly appeal to foreign applicants and attract an international team. The entire application process was significantly simplified via an online tool, and the park also cooperated with a student agency from Belgrade, Serbia, to invite young people to apply for a seasonal position at the park in the Sauerland region. A total of nine Serbian students, three Spaniards and people from many other nations such as Turkey and Ukraine supported the team at FORT FUN during this peak season. “It has been an exhausting but very successful season so far and I am happy to have a strong team by my side that does not shy away from challenges. This puts me in a positive mood with a view to next year, especially with regard to our big novelty,” Sievering continued.

The Sauerland family theme park with a Wild West theme and today operated by French Looping Group is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year (read also “FORT FUN turns 50” in EAP issue 3/2022). The season is still running through November 1^st and will feature the “FORT FEAR Horrorland” event days in October, a “best-of” from 13 years of scary live-acts and mazes. (eap)