AT: Jeffrey Seifert

Amusement Today interviewed Roland Mack, owner Europa-Park and Rulantica, and Michael Kreft von Byern, director of Rulantica, about the steps that were taken to reopen Europa-Park, the Rulantica water world and the new Svalgurok outdoor water park, in a post-pandemic world. 

AT: I understand the park asked for assistance from a local university to reopen the water park after having closed due to COVID-19. Please explain how that worked.

Roland Mack: We worked very closely with all responsible authorities as well as the University of Freiburg. Europa-Park was chosen to be a model project for opening a large leisure facility after the pandemic. In order to gain as much insight as possible, which could help other facilities to open as well, the university accompanied the opening from a scientific point of view. Their main role was to advise Europa-Park on necessary and sensible safety measures that would help to limit the risk of infection. The measures range from social distancing and education of visitors pre-arrival to digital solutions such as our new virtual queueing system, VirtualLine, and online tickets only. 

We also opened very carefully in terms of capacity with 10,000 guests at Europa-Park per day in order to see if our track-and-trace system, which is organized in close cooperation with the local Board of Health, could cope. The same approach was taken for the water world, where we started at approximately 50% of total capacity. Once we were confident, we slowly increased the capacity further. Until now, we are still operating well below our maximum capacity because the safety of our guests takes priority. 

AT: Did the University use scientific or mathematical modeling?

Mack: The university actually used both, scientific and mathematical modeling. Moreover, they also conducted research on site in order to get the maximum level of insight.

AT: Once the water park reopened, was the response good?

Mack: We were very pleased with the response straight from the reopening. Our team had worked incredibly hard to come up with a hygiene and safety protocol that made sure that we could provide the safest possible experience for our guests. I guess our reputation as a safety-conscious park helped; our loyal guests trust that we do a good job. 

When we first opened, we started with a capacity that was below the capacity recommended and allowed by the government, because we wanted to make sure that our processes work. Once we were confident, we slowly increased the capacity but are still operating at a sensible level that we can manage well. This does, of course, occasionally lead to some disappointed guests who can’t buy tickets for a specific day that might already have sold out. But for us, this is the only workable approach. 

AT: Are current travel restrictions having an effect on attendance?

Mack: We did see a shift in the distribution of our visitors. Where we had about 20% of visitors from France and Switzerland respectively pre-COVID at Europa-Park, we started with much more German visitors. But that was to be expected, as international travel was more restricted than domestic travel. Over the last weeks, the balance has started to come back, and we see a steady increase in international guests, for Europa-Park as well as Rulantica. This is, of course, a very dynamic situation and with rules still changing every few weeks, it does have a direct effect on international attendance. But overall, attendance is at a steady level, especially during the summer holidays. Days sell out quite fast, and at Europa-Park it is now mandatory for all visitors to pre-book their tickets for a specific date online, which makes it easier for us to manage. For Rulantica, we had an online ticket shop set up straight from the opening, which made it a lot easier for us to adjust to the new situation. 

AT: Are you having any issues finding enough staff for all the attractions?

Michael Kreft von Byern: It is in fact a big problem for us to find enough staff for some services that we would like to be able to offer again. The pandemic has caused a shift in the workforce, and people have moved away from hospitality to online retailers and other industries that weren’t as affected. It is a challenge, but we have a great package for our employees. We have invested heavily in staff facilities and housing on site and we believe that we will be able to find enough people again once the confidence in the tourism sector has returned. However, recruiting staff will be one of the biggest challenges for our industry in the future. 

AT: In regard to Svalgurok, were there any construction delays due to the pandemic?

Kreft von Byern: We pushed ahead with Svalgurok as planned. There were only minor delays due to social distancing measures and such, but overall, we managed to use the closing time to complete the project. This also meant that we could reopen with a great new attraction and an enhanced product that also has a larger capacity due to the big new outdoor area. It wasn’t without risk to keep investing during such an uncertain time, but the guest feedback shows that we were right to carry on. 

AT: What was the reason for adding such elaborate theming to Svalgurok?

Mack: Theming is an important part of Europa-Park and it is no different at Rulantica.  The theming of Rulantica is quite unique in the water park industry, with it being a Nordic, mystical theme rather than your typical palm trees and beach feeling. But we feel we hit [the mark] with our guests and by choosing this theme, we also opened up a wide playing field for elaborate storytelling. We have created a novel series around Rulantica, audio plays, the adjacent hotel ‘Krønasår’ is part of the story and you can even experience Rulantica in Virtual Reality in our new VR experience centre YULLBE, which is also right next to the water world. You can start your Rulantica experience at home by getting into the story, and you can take it back home after your visit, too. Naturally, when you commit to theming the way we do, Svalgurok could be no exception, and that’s why we made the most of the theming opportunities. We also gave it the additional name ‘Nordic Outdoor World of Slides,’ and that really says it all. It is a fantastic water paradise for the whole family. Surely, the highlight is the massive, movable head of Svalgur. It’s an eye catcher and a popular photo spot. 

AT: The waterslides come with unique and extensive coloring. How did that come about?

Kreft von Byern: We have our own inhouse creative department, Mack NExT. These guys have worked on all recent Europa-Park projects, including Arthur – In the Minimoys Kingdom with Luc Besson’s team, and they are absolute experts when it comes to bringing our attractions and themed areas to life. The whole theme and story world of Rulantica was developed in-house, and it was that team, together with many other creative minds such as PGAV for the master planning, of course Chip Cleary, our senior consultant, who brings an invaluable range of experience to the table and Show Canada, who also supported us in our design process. It was a great team effort. 

AT: Do you think the guests appreciate the theming?

Mack: We have no doubt about that. Our guests appreciate the love to detail that they can come again and again and still discover new details and tiny little elements that make a stay more special. That together with our dedication to high quality experiences are key factors of Europa-Park’s longstanding success and it is the same for Rulantica. Our guests expect a certain level of theming from us, and I believe that anything less would have led to disappointed guests. Luckily, we have had overwhelmingly positive feedback so far, so it seems we met our guests’ expectations. Our characters also play a very important role when we talk about theming. With Snorri we have created a fantastic new character, and he really is the star of Rulantica. This opens up even more possibilities, such as Snorri Snorkling VR for example, the first underwater VR theatre in the world. Our guests can embark on an underwater VR experience, complete with special effects that make you believe you are actually whizzing through the waters of Rulantica together with Snorri. 

AT: What is the planned season for the outdoor section?

Michael Kreft von Byern: We are planning to open Svalgurok and Snorri Strand from May to September, subject to weather. We get a lot of sun in southwest Germany, but it is not Spain, so we have to be realistic and don’t overpromise. Other parts such as our heated outdoor pool Frigg Tempel and the Vildstrøm wild river are open year-round. 

AT: Is there a phase three in the works or any other expansion plans that you might be willing to discuss — or hint at?

Mack: We will continue to expand our outdoor area as well as the indoor area in the near future. Slides, play areas and other additions are planned to be built in the coming years.

This article appears in the OCTOBER 2021 issue of Amusement Today.
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