Netherlands: Efteling Announces Results of 2020 Season – 2.9 Million Guests Visited Theme Park
Last year, the Dutch Efteling theme park was closed for a total of 14 weeks during its regular seasonal opening due to operational restrictions in order to prevent the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic. Many hotel and accommodation bookings for the theme park’s related hotels and the holiday park had to be cancelled. In summer and fall, Efteling was finally allowed to open ist doors, ensuring for compliance with corona protection measures and a reduced daily visitor capacity. A total of 2.9 million visitors from the Netherlands and abroad were welcomed to the theme park in the past season (normally, Efteling registers over five million visitors annually, cf. Park Report in EAP 2/2020). As a result, the company’s turnover fell by 38.3 per cent to 140 million Euros. Efteling ended its 2020 financial year with a loss of 14.5 million Euros.
According to the theme park, numerous cost-cutting measures were taken to limit the losses and ensure the continuity of operations. Efteling’s Chairman & CEO Fons Jurgens comments: “Corona has forced us to sharply step on the brakes. But we see that the measures we have taken had a positive effect. The visitor numbers we have achieved despite the closure are not bad at all. I am proud of the high guest rating of 8.4 for the park and our committed, resilient staff. This difficult period has demanded a lot from them. Thanks in part to the Dutch government’s short-time work program, our sponsors and our shareholder Stichting Natuurpark de Efteling, we can now look into the future with cautious optimism. 2020 was the worst year in the park’s history, but we have built a healthy financial base from which we are now drawing. We are now hoping to reopen on 11 May, depending on the situation.“ To learn how other European theme parks and attractions deal with the Covid-19 crisis, read our park report featured in our current EAP magazine issue 2/2021.
Despite the pandemic-related challenges, Efteling can also look back on some highlights last year: For example, the family duelling roller coaster “Max & Moritz“ (by Mack-Rides) was opened in June – it takes guests on a journey through Wilhelm Busch’s stories about the two rascals (cf. EAP 5/2020). In addition, the new inclusive “Nest!“ play area will offer children a versatile mix of climbing and interactive play structures (cf. EAP news of 14 Oct 2020). (eap)
