Coronavirus: Impact on Theme Parks

[Hyde]

Just to put more light to it, there is indeed an economic impact on areas/cities that rely on revenue generated through tourism (added business, sales tax, etc.). Recent local piece covering Sandusky, Ohio; but can be extrapolated to other tourism-heavy cities, whom already are seeing hits in revenue due to lost sales tax, permit fees, etc.

Cedar Point opening delay forces cuts in Sandusky

The City of Sandusky estimates they could lose anywhere from $5-10 million dollars this year due to COVID-19 forcing Cedar Point to delay opening.

www.13abc.com

 

[Professor]

Some good news; Angela Merkel has announced that places such as playgrounds and museums will be able to reopen in Germany from 6th May with restrictions in place.

If museums can reopen, then I don't see why theme parks couldn't potentially open with social distancing in place. Now this has been announced, I could definitely see German parks beginning to reopen at some point in May.
...

I can definitely see a reason. They would be classed as mass events rather than a few hundred congregating at a museum.

The Netherlands already announced no mass gatherings till 1 September.

Unless there is some miracle drop off of deaths and it has been proven the virus cannot spread to more vulnerable people over the next 4 weeks, I'd say the theme park season is probably as good as over this year. And that would include Germany. Theme parks would literally be losing more money than staying closed if they were to open for just a few months with the recruitment needed, no more governmental handouts or tax relief in place, and potentially run all sorts of farcical social distancing rules like reduced entry numbers and the stupid one on their own per row in a coaster and wearing a face mask thing we saw in a photo from China.

 

[UP87]

Germany has no mass gatherings until september 1, as well. Museums are more important than parks as they are educational and I doubt there'll be bigger crowds and queues as there is no tourism at the moment. I don't share your optimism. I don't see imminent park openings.

 

[Nicky Borrill]

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I think that a second wave is going to hit us, and this one will be way larger than the first one, due to the larger base in beginning.

Highly unlikely... I’m fairy confident that a second wave will not be bigger than the first in the UK for several reasons. 1) Immunity in society 2) Prevention measures, we’re all generally much better at social distancing and hygiene now 3) Reaction plans... Before the lifting plans are laid out, there will be counter plans in place to respond to any rises in numbers. This is why they’re being very cautious about how they’re lifting the lockdown.

I know the media like to print alarming headlines, and there will no doubt be a second wave, or a prolonged continuation of the tail end of the first wave, but it is highly unlikely that it will be worse than, or even as bad as, the first.

The only example the media like to repeat to help with their fear mongering is the Spanish flu... With suggestions that a larger second wave happened then so could happen now... You should look up the first wave of the Spanish flu, you’ll immediately see a very clear difference... https://www.cdc.gov/flu/pandemic-resources/1918-commemoration/pandemic-timeline-1918.htm

 

[Nitefly]

I can’t see any European openings this year.

US openings from June.... maybe. Because... err, ‘liberty’. Or something.

 

[Matt N]

One thing to note is that zoos are also being allowed to open; wouldn't they be mass gatherings as well?

 

[UP87]

Zoos are a lot easier to manage than theme parks. You could just force the visitors on a route. In a theme park this is completely impossible as the guests want to visit different attractions and to reride rides. Additionally zoos and museums can be considered educational and that makes them a lot more valuable than theme parks.

1) Immunity in society

If you look at the number of cases you'll see that this is more or less negligible.

 

[Nicky Borrill]

If you look at the number of cases you'll see that this is more or less negligible.

Most studies, such as the ones from Germany, Sweden, USA etc (Some already posted here if you look back) suggest somewhere in the region of 10 - 20% as a minimum, but some suggest much more.

Even the most pessimistic death % puts us at well over 10% infection rate (0.35% death ratio, so 285.714 x 26,771 = 7,648,857 infected from a population of 66M) You’re not just looking at our tested cases are you? Because they’re missing the majority of the entire peak’s cases, transmission peaked in March, when they were basically testing nobody.

Anyway, some serology testing is already happening in the UK now (Reported daily under Pillar 4) and mass scale serology tests are hopefully on the horizon, so there’s hope that we can see a clearer, more definitive, picture before the lockdown begins to lift ?

 

[Peet]

It looks like Tivoli are planning to open this month:

Last updated 30 April 2020

Tivoli is following the development of COVID-19 closely, and our most important priority is the safety of our employees and visitors. This means that we are following all the recommendations of the Danish Health Authority, and we encourage everyone to pay attention to hygiene and use hand sanitiser. All employees who have spent time in risk areas will be sent home for a period of 14 days after arriving back in Denmark. We also encourage you to not visit the Gardens if you have visited a country in which COVID-19 is spreading within the past 14 days.

As a consequence of recent guidelines and restrictions from the Danish government in relation to COVID-19, Tivoli has decided to postpone the summer season opening of the Gardens until 11 May. It is with a heavy heart that we cannot welcome you in our Gardens where flowers and bushes are in full bloom - but our top priority remains the safety of our guests and employees.

However, we are happy to announce that we extend the summer season until 4 October.

The delayed opening is a natural consequence of the ban against assemblies and announcements from health authorities and the Government during the on-going COVID-19 pandemic.

We look forward to welcome you to our Gardens again

Opening hours

Seasons and opening hours in Tivoli Gardens

www.tivoligardens.com

Regarding the conversations above, people need to stop saying that a theme park is an event - that's not what event means! Examples of events are concerts, festivals and sports events. These typically involve tens of thousands of people in *very crowded* environments which is why they are high risk, and they take many months to organise which is why they are being cancelled so far in advance. I'd be tempted to say the same for "mass gatherings" but it's a little less clear cut.

 

[Nitefly]

It looks like Tivoli are planning to open this month:
View attachment 8240

Opening hours

Seasons and opening hours in Tivoli Gardens

www.tivoligardens.com

Regarding the conversations above, people need to stop saying that a theme park is an event - that's not what event means! Examples of events are concerts, festivals and sports events. These typically involve tens of thousands of people in *very crowded* environments which is why they are high risk, and they take many months to organise which is why they are being cancelled so far in advance. I'd be tempted to say the same for "mass gatherings" but it's a little less clear cut.

I agree that concerts and sporting events are very crowded but you are otherwise dancing on the head of a pin somewhat. The virus does not have a deliberate tendency to target those that are attending temporary ‘one off occurrences’.

The material questions are:

Are many people attending?
Are they attending from afar?
Will people be in close proximity to each other?

The answer in the case of events is obviously yes to all three, hence the reference to ‘events’ as a means of preventing them from occurring.

The answer is also yes for zoos and theme parks. Zoos and theme parks, due to their non-temporary nature, are far better at coping with any additional restrictions that may be imposed and cannot be ‘cancelled’, per se. But the answer to the above queries remains ‘yes’.

I don’t think anyone is saying that zoos and theme parks are events. Furthermore, whether theme parks and zoos are ‘events’ (as in temporary one off occurrences) is sort of irrelevant. What matters is whether they are able to demonstrate that they will be able to minimise the risks of the spread of infection. Until the virus is very much ‘under control’ in the general population all attempts to mitigate spread within a theme park or zoo will be somewhat moot.

It only seems sensible to reopen them some time after things like restaurants and bars reopen (due to high attendance and people travelling from afar).

 

[Nicky Borrill]

The material questions are:

Are many people attending?
Are they attending from afar?
Will people be in close proximity to each other?

Sorry but that is wrong... The definition of a mass gather for the purposes of epidemic control, as defined by the World Health Organisation, and the governments following their advice is...

“An event counts as a “mass gatherings” if the number of people it brings together is so large that it has the potential to strain the planning and response resources of the health system in the community where it takes place.”

Q&A on Mass Gatherings and COVID-19

www.who.int

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Despite everything that has been said by the worlds governments, health organisations and media, people are still looking at lockdown as a way to end the virus, instead of it’s real purpose, to prevent health care systems being overwhelmed ?

 

[Nitefly]

Sorry but that is wrong... The definition of a mass gather for the purposes of epidemic control, as defined by the World Health Organisation, and the governments following their advice is...

“An event counts as a “mass gatherings” if the number of people it brings together is so large that it has the potential to strain the planning and response resources of the health system in the community where it takes place.”

Q&A on Mass Gatherings and COVID-19

www.who.int

.

Despite everything that has been said by the worlds governments, health organisations and media, people are still looking at lockdown as a way to end the virus, instead of it’s real purpose, to prevent health care systems being overwhelmed ?

Without wishing to sound petty, nothing you have posted contradicts what I have said (and there is only a contradiction if you have misunderstood me). Nothing in my post considers what the WHO considers qualifies as “mass gatherings”. Bars and restaurant are not mass gatherings, but they remain closed pursuant to national governance. My three questions are simply considerations that are undoubtedly (one would hope) contemplated in respect of national / state governance.

It is probably neater to simply say: “mass gatherings” as per WHO guidance should obviously not be occurring in the current climate, but that does not mean that is the ONLY criteria - there is a huge international divergence in response and stipulations. Theme parks, zoos, restaurants etc are rightly prone to scrutiny whether they are considered “mass gatherings” or not.

But yes, hooray for the virus hopefully becoming under control and for things getting back to normal (whenever that may be).

 

[JammyH]

I’d be pretty hopeful in saying european parks start to open up again over the next few weeks, and UK parks start to open up again in July.


With Germany opening zoos and museums on the 6. May, I reckon the theme parks potentially could reopen in June. With spain reopening hotels on the 11. May, theme parks could open a couple of weeks later.

The issue that then remains is which countries can keep their R0 less than 1 to prevent a major second wave, which would cause everything to shut down again in a few weeks after they all reopen?

Letting people in from other countries significantly increases these chances, which is why I think it is very unlikely to be able to take a summer holiday abroad this summer or visit any international parks outside your home country. For example, Austria says they may only allow German tourists into their country this summer to boost their tourism sector.

 

[Nicky Borrill]

Without wishing to sound petty, nothing you have posted contradicts what I have said (and there is only a contradiction if you have misunderstood me). Nothing in my post considers what the WHO considers qualifies as “mass gatherings”. Bars and restaurant are not mass gatherings, but they remain closed pursuant to national governance. My three questions are simply considerations that are undoubtedly (one would hope) contemplated in respect of national / state governance.

It is probably neater to simply say: “mass gatherings” as per WHO guidance should obviously not be occurring in the current climate, but that does not mean that is the ONLY criteria - there is a huge international divergence in response and stipulations. Theme parks, zoos, restaurants etc are rightly prone to scrutiny whether they are considered “mass gatherings” or not.

But yes, hooray for the virus hopefully becoming under control and for things getting back to normal (whenever that may be).

Well as your post was a direct response to this...

Regarding the conversations above, people need to stop saying that a theme park is an event - that's not what event means! Examples of events are concerts, festivals and sports events. These typically involve tens of thousands of people in *very crowded* environments which is why they are high risk, and they take many months to organise which is why they are being cancelled so far in advance. I'd be tempted to say the same for "mass gatherings" but it's a little less clear cut.

Can you forgive me for thinking we were still discussing Theme Parks in relation to MGs or events? The reason for this assumption was because I thought you were aware that large groups outside is considered much lower risk, unless in a MG setting.

You say that they should reopen AFTER pubs and restaurants... As a pub company owning theme park enthusiast I feel I have enough personal knowledge (without the scientific data which DOES back this up) to say that’s also incorrect, small indoor spaces are much higher risk than anything outdoors. Hence the reason pubs and restaurants closed way before theme parks.

That being said, it is probably a fair point to suggest that they should open alongside each other, give that the business model of many parks involves indoor spaces, such as restaurants, bars, hotels etc. Or they could do what they did just before lockdown and close all indoor hospitality sections and only offer the ’takeaway’ options.

Edited to add a little bit of ‘further reading’ for anybody interested

Outdoor Transmission of COVID | National Review

This new study, if true, could raise important questions about the wisdom of closing public parks in urban areas.

www.nationalreview.com

Why you’re unlikely to get the coronavirus from runners or cyclists

Understanding the key concepts of transmissibility and infectious dose should reassure you.

www.vox.com

New study finds few cases of outdoor transmission of coronavirus in China

A new study of the more than 300 outbreak clusters of COVID-19 in China reveals that the majority of the outbreaks were fueled by indoor transmission of the disease, while outdoor transmi…

thehill.com

 

[CSLKennyNI]

Heide Park have released a statement; offering free rebookings to any date after 1 June.

Dear Heide Park fans and adventurers,

Based on the deliberations of the Federal Government and the federal states on April 30, 2020 and the resulting decisions, the Heide Park Resort remains closed.

The Ministry of Economic Affairs of Lower Saxony announced on April 29, 2020, via a press release, plans to introduce a three-phase plan to revitalize the tourism industry in the Conference of Ministers for Economic Affairs. This provides for prospects for companies in the tourism, hotel and catering sectors that are massively affected by the Corona crisis and to gradually reduce the requirements for this sector. The opening will be initiated with tourist outdoor offers such as zoos, amusement parks and climbing gardens. The federal states will determine on their own responsibility the date on which the individual phases begin.

When and with what conditions the Heide Park Resort will reopen its doors is decided by the authorities. Of course we will keep you up to date on further developments.

For overnight stays booked at the Heide Park Adventure Hotel or Holiday Camp with arrival up to and including May 10, 2020, we have adjusted our rebooking conditions. We offer you to reschedule the overnight stays to another date in the 2020 season (June 1 until November 2) free of charge (on request and subject to availability). In the event of limited availability of the desired date or the desired room category, the difference to the current daily room rate can be charged.

Source

 

[Professor]

Lol, Crazy.

Christmas lights switch on cancelled

It's only the first day of May but a Christmas lights switch-on has already been cancelled.

The event - which usually attracts up to 6,000 people - was due to take place on 27 November in Ely, Cambridgeshire.

Ian Newstead, event manager, says the city will still have lights - as long as they can be put up safely and following guidelines - but a special event will not be held.

 

[Nicky Borrill]

Energylandia have revised their season opening date to June 1st...

Honestly don’t know how much we can read into all of these though, without official government announcements they are surely just hopeful projections?

 

[JammyH]

Lol, Crazy.

I think it really shows how long we are going to have to be social distancing for.

 

[Nicky Borrill]

I think it really shows how long we are going to have to be social distancing for.

Or... In completely the opposite direction of those parks optimistically suggesting they’ll open in May... It’s a complete knee jerk reaction to something that may or may not still be an issue beyond August.

Honestly, regardless of any of our own personal opinions on this, surely we can all agree that NOBODY can be 100% sure what the situation will be beyond a month or 2... Planning, or cancelling plans, beyond your operational needs is ridiculous...

However, maybe their operational needs require planning to begin for this event now, bookings to be made, deposits paid...

If these kinds of events are planned this far ahead I wouldn’t be surprised if we start seeing bonfire events, halloween events and Christmas events begin to be cancelled on mass soon... Simply because they can’t afford to invest time and money into planning an event if there is any risk of those events being cancelled, regardless of the level of that risk, is it worth it?

 

[Dar]

Places are going to be weighing up the PR of running events, nobody is going to want to be the first to open just before a second wave hits only to get hit the bad press of getting "blamed" for people going there.

With some of the smaller big events, like town christmas lights, they're going to be considering the economics of running the event with half the punters if we're still having to socially distance ourselves. When I was at uni in Stafford the town used to get jam-packed from one end of the high street to the other, with some fair rides, big screen, and lots of food & drink vans. There was no way to maintain any kind of distance from people, so capacity would have to be cut drastically. But then you're in the situation of how do you cheaply and effectively manage capacity in a town centre, and how do you stop people coming down and standing just outside the barriers to get a look?