Coronavirus: Impact on Theme Parks
- Thread starter JammyH
- Start date
CanobieFan
Strata Poster
And Disney World, is not. I go back Monday.
Further update from the UK regarding air bridges:
www.thesun.co.uk
The sun can "confirm" the air bridges which will be put in next week and these following countries will be deemed "travel safe" by the FCO and we won't have to quarantine in going to or from these countries:
France, Spain, Italy, Greece, Germany, Austria, Belgium, Netherlands, Gibraltar and Bermuda.
What is an air bridge and which countries could be linked to the UK?
BRITS eager to travel abroad could soon be able to without the need to quarantine once they arrive back in the UK. The Government is set to announcement a full list of the countries they will have …
www.thesun.co.uk
The sun can "confirm" the air bridges which will be put in next week and these following countries will be deemed "travel safe" by the FCO and we won't have to quarantine in going to or from these countries:
France, Spain, Italy, Greece, Germany, Austria, Belgium, Netherlands, Gibraltar and Bermuda.
BlueSonicHD
Mega Poster
Did I read also if the UK do this the EU are going to take us to court for breaking some sort of rule by only allowing certain travel to EU countries and not others ?
That’s correct, the EU commission will be taking the UK government to court as these air bridges discriminate against other EU countries with low covid rates, who we have not set up air bridges with, like Poland, Switzerland, Norway and Finland.
I understand in the way they have set up the quarantine and travel bridges stops people from high risk countries coming in and spreading covid, such as from Brazil, Russia, USA or India, but picking certain EU countries to create air bridges with is ridiculous given every EU country (bar Portugal) has lower covid rates than us. An EU wide travel bridge as the first bridge would make far far more sense and would save the government having to be taken to court by the EU commission.
The government are screwing themselves over once again. The way they are picking and choosing certain EU countries to create air bridges with is actually against the law.
Yet it was okay for European countries to close their bodies in the early months to other EU citizens?
12 March 2020:
EU condemns Trump travel ban on 26 European countries
26 March 2020:
Coronavirus: EU president criticises member states for closing borders to each other during pandemic
(Thus Ursula von der Leyen basically wanted the virus to run riot throughout the EU and only closing external borders!)
24 June 2020:
E.U. May Bar American Travelers as It Reopens Borders, Citing Failures on Virus
The EU is a joke puppet organisation everyone in the UK should be glad we got rid off. People can't see the bigger picture and have been led by a media outrage mob to think we need. It didn't do or help jack **** during this pandemic. Countries still needed its borders to control this mess.
This constant fawning over "all we need is just adding one more layer of government and then everything will be absolutely fine" is getting tiresome and I'm glad there has been some resistance to it. History is full of examples of centralising government control and it eventually failing. "Ah but this time it will be different". No-one is learning from history it seems.
I'm glad countries could close their borders and did.
As for the pick and mix thing of which countries we can let people in and out off; I don't have any say. Some of it makes no sense. As long as Brazil and the rest of South America I guess stays off the list for a while.
Some figures are strange such as Poland's. Have they reached a peak or not?
EU condemns Trump travel ban on 26 European countries
26 March 2020:
Coronavirus: EU president criticises member states for closing borders to each other during pandemic
(Thus Ursula von der Leyen basically wanted the virus to run riot throughout the EU and only closing external borders!)
24 June 2020:
E.U. May Bar American Travelers as It Reopens Borders, Citing Failures on Virus
The EU is a joke puppet organisation everyone in the UK should be glad we got rid off. People can't see the bigger picture and have been led by a media outrage mob to think we need. It didn't do or help jack **** during this pandemic. Countries still needed its borders to control this mess.
This constant fawning over "all we need is just adding one more layer of government and then everything will be absolutely fine" is getting tiresome and I'm glad there has been some resistance to it. History is full of examples of centralising government control and it eventually failing. "Ah but this time it will be different". No-one is learning from history it seems.
I'm glad countries could close their borders and did.
As for the pick and mix thing of which countries we can let people in and out off; I don't have any say. Some of it makes no sense. As long as Brazil and the rest of South America I guess stays off the list for a while.
Some figures are strange such as Poland's. Have they reached a peak or not?
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Nicky Borrill
Strata Poster
Poland is a strange one... They’ve not done a lot of testing so I’ve been watching their deaths more than their cases, which means a 2 week lag...
They reached peak deaths at the end of April, so mid April for transmission... However their number were extremely low, which puts them at higher risk of further, bigger peaks... And worryingly the numbers have been creeping back up lately ?
Matt N
CF Legend
I just found a very interesting paper that was done by some key economists predicting that the theme park & leisure sector will actually see growth by 2025 from 2019 levels: https://coleofduty.com/news/2020/06/25/theme-park-vacation-market/
For some reference, the paper was published today and it looked at most of the major operators as case studies. It used 2019 as a baseline year and uses 2025 as the end year, and it even references the impacts of COVID-19 on our industry.
Could COVID-19 be less of an uphill battle in the long-term than some are predicting?
For some reference, the paper was published today and it looked at most of the major operators as case studies. It used 2019 as a baseline year and uses 2025 as the end year, and it even references the impacts of COVID-19 on our industry.
Could COVID-19 be less of an uphill battle in the long-term than some are predicting?
The only explanation surely could be IF it is related to Covd-19, people probably willing to travel less internationally and thus seeking more leisure opportunities locally / within their own country?
Take Disneyland Paris for example. I used the Thalys from Amsterdam to get there last year. That direct Thalys route has been cancelled till December at least. I wouldn't even consider driving again, it's just too far, maybe if I could combine it with a park in north France or in Belgium I would do it but there are not many people who would think like that. It's going to take a while before international travel is back at the same levels as before the pandemic.
Besides a few projects like Icon and Wickerman I think the UK has really seen quite a bit of under investment in theme parks over the last 10 years. Hopefully things will turn around from next year but I wouldn't bank on it to be honest.
Nicky Borrill
Strata Poster
Where you driving from Andrew? The drive to Paris from the midlands was decent... Early hours departure though, think next time I’ll grab a room near Dover and possibly some south east creds (not an option this time, UK hotels closed)
We have had Smiler and Swarm in that time too... Still pitiful though...
Ethan
Strata Poster
Just so you know, you're making yourself look like a bit of a tit when you spout things like this. I'm saying this with love to save you from embarrassment, sort of like how you'd tell your grandmother she's still got the tags on her new dress.
In my eyes, the UK theme park market has been at a massive standstill over the last 10 years. Regardless of the coronavirus pandemic, merlin dominate the UK market, and the other parks can't provide sufficient competition to force merlin to put the effort or the money into standout new attractions. In other countries such as holland and Germany, parks are constantly challenging each other with new investments and pushing new technologies, which forces the other parks to invest. In the UK, merlin dominates the market, and therefore their "new investments" can just be filler attractions as they know they will draw in the visitors and make a good return regardless.
Obviously, the smiler incident set back the UK merlin parks massively in terms of levels of investment. Before the incident, we had some pretty decent investments such as wild Asia and the Swarm, post incident the only notable thing merlin have added since 2015 is wicker man. People can argue left right and centre that merlin have been pushing the boat out with new investments such as gangster granny, Derren Brown and the walking dead, but at the end of the day these are just temporary filler attractions to keep the clock ticking over, they aren't standout attractions which have pride of place in the industry.
Blackpool have tried to put pressure on merlin with icon, and have been very successful as a park with their new investment, similarly as Paultons trying to place the pressure on Chessington/legoland with investments such as tornado springs and the lost kingdom, but until merlin see a noticeable drop in visitor numbers and yearly profits generated by the parks, they won't be forced into any groundbreaking investments and can rest on their laurels. The UK public are satisfied with the offering merlin has and will return year upon year regardless of change or new investment, and as long as this continues on I wouldn't expect to see anything groundbreaking come from them.
We may still see alton get new investments here and there as they do have Blackpool challenging them up north, and Legoland and Chessington do have Paultons slightly placing the pressure now, so they may also receive gradual investment over the next few years, but as I said I wouldn't expect to see any groundbreaking attractions. Thorpe Park literally has no competition, and is the only park for thrillseekers in close proximity to London, and therefore with no competition, I don't expect anything special from them for at least the next 5 years. I wouldn't expect to see a new coaster come for at least the next 5 years and fully expect them to keep on putting in filler attractions to keep the clock ticking over without having to make any significant investments.
I don't know exactly but to me it feels like merlin have removed more attractions than they have added over the last few years. To me that feels like they are taking steps back rather than steps forward as a lot of rides are getting removed/SBNO without being replaced.
But does your reply have to be so rude and sarcastic?
Everyone has the right to their own opinion, and this forum is a platform for expressing our own opinions and discussing them. You may not agree with his opinion, but the sarcastic and hostile message is pretty unnecessary. Everyone's opinion is justified and has validity to it. I don't support these kind of comments, it feels a bit like bullying to be honest.
Nicky Borrill
Strata Poster
People still hashing out the whole brexit pro EU anti EU thing is a bit sad really. It’s done, whatever side you were on, it’s time to move on, pull together, rebuild our country, and fix our international relationships, including with the EU, our closest neighbours 
Yours Sincerely,
A huge remainer!
Yours Sincerely,
A huge remainer!
Ethan
Strata Poster
Yeah it does actually. When you sign up to being gay there's a part in the contract that states you must be facetious at all times.
VonRolland
Giga Poster
Hear Hear, Let's stick to arguing over whether Orion is a giga or notPeople still hashing out the whole brexit pro EU anti EU thing is a bit sad really. It’s done, whatever side you were on, it’s time to move on, pull together, rebuild our country, and fix our international relationships, including with the EU, our closest neighbours
Yours Sincerely,
A huge remainer!
Ethan
Strata Poster
Hint: You do realise gays don't have to sign a contract, right?
Maybe we should really get back on topic. Partly my fault, but I think we've strayed a little.
Matt N
CF Legend
To be fair, as much as many dislike the attraction, Derren Brown did represent a pretty significant investment into Thorpe; rumoured to be the most expensive ride Merlin has ever built in one of its theme parks. Even the bottom end of the estimate is £13m, which is the same as Colossus and Saw cost, and some of the top estimates are in about the £30-40m range. With that kind of money being spent on it, I definitely don’t think DBGT was a filler attraction (or at least, not intended to be).
Also, the parks can’t spend huge money every year because that would be unsustainable for the business. Things like Gangsta Granny are lower investments to fill the time gap between Wicker Man and (presumably) SW9, whenever it comes. Think of them like stocking fillers on Christmas Day; they’re not the thing you’re most excited for, but you appreciate them being there nonetheless. Pretty much every theme park invests in things like this in their lower years.