“Things can change from day to day. But as it stands, we will open on April 4 ”. Thursday March 12, Nicolas de Villiers, the president of the Puy du Fou park - 2.3 million visitors per year - wanted to be cautious but relatively calm, during the Paris press conference to launch the new park season. Vendée attractions. Because, according to him, the latter "is well prepared, in daily contact with the State services" to fight against the spread of the coronavirus.
Like Disneyland Paris, the Vendée park has planned specific measures to reduce the risk of contamination from Covid-19. “First of all, we are lucky to have a lot of outdoor shows and few queues, since the performances take place at a fixed time, several times a day, specifies Nicolas de Villiers. But we have put in place exceptional measures. "
One hundred hydroalcoholic gel distribution points
"We will ensure, thanks to our counts and in accordance with government guidelines, never to have more than 1000 people in the same place at the same time," notes the park manager. For indoor performances, like Richelieu's Musketeer , the gauge will be limited to this number and we will multiply the entries to avoid queues as much as possible. "
Another provision: 100 hydroalcoholic gel distribution points have been set up, near attractions, in restaurants and hotels. "A doctor is also present every day on the site for any emergency and we have a very well equipped rescue center", further details the manager of Puy du Fou.
And the temperature reading at the entrance? “You can't impose it on visitors. The state does not claim it for the moment. But if we are asked, we will. We will follow all the instructions given by the government to the letter. We have a duty of security in relation to our audience, but also in relation to our teams. "
"The ticket office is doing pretty well at the moment"
For the moment, the park, 86% frequented by French people, does not seem to be suffering from the global health crisis. “We had a few booking delays from school groups or companies. But otherwise, the ticket office is working pretty well at the moment. We are however aware that we should expect, in the weeks to come, a slight decline ”, recognizes Nicolas de Villiers. Not too significant, he must hope.
Because, for this new season, the Park has made a record investment of 62 million euros, half of its turnover, in order to offer a new night show on the lake, "Les noces de feu", to build a hotel. 4 stars, Le Grand siècle, as well as a convention center, the Molière Theater, for corporate events.
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So, when we invoke a possible decision by the State to close the amusement parks, Nicolas de Villiers prefers not to think too much about it: “The important thing for us is to be well prepared for this opening. For the rest, we don't want to scream until we hurt. "