Arnaud Bennet, head of the zoo and attractions PAL in Auvergne, ranked 5th in number of visitors in 2020, is angry.
The word is weak.
Worried in the aftermath of the presidential announcements, the president of Snelac (National Union of Leisure, Amusement and Cultural Spaces), which brings together 2,600 companies in the sector, has been able to verify in recent days what he feared: for him, the health pass imposed since July 21 has already spoiled the season.
And endangers many sites.
Did the introduction of the health pass on Wednesday plunge the attendance of leisure parks?
ARNAUD BENNET.
Overall there is a very strong fall, from 20 to 50% depending on the site, and up to 70% for some. The smaller the site, the more impulsive the purchase, the day before or the same morning, and the fewer tickets we sell because of the health pass. There is a very clear disaffection in all of our parks because of an unnecessary measure in these outdoor spaces, where the security protocol had worked very well last summer. If the health pass had been effective on September 1 or 15, we would have had a good summer, it had started well. There, we are very close to killing the season on many sites. I am appalled by the political improvidence. On large sites, we could have set up a test system on parking lots, but the decree, which allows it for nightclubs, has not even been extended to parks.Which means that all costs would be at our expense. I have members in total distress. People who don't even know if they're going to stay open. Who cry calling me. On small sites, bosses have paid the last salary out of their pocket. We are being told about a health emergency, but that is not the subject.
What do you mean ?
Of course we are sensitive to it, but last summer demonstrated that the parks were not a zone of contamination.
Deciding to set up this pass overnight does not even help us to support the movement, since, given the delays between the two doses of vaccine, even those who do so now will not be able to come to us.
We are slaughtering the season and businesses when there has never been a cluster in a park.
To read also "We will not prevent ourselves from having fun": at Parc Astérix, 9000 visitors despite the health pass
How is your audience reacting?
We are insulted on social networks. People tell us that they have a health pass imposed on them and that they will never come to our parks again, when we did not decide. Not to mention the visitors who arrive by car after a two or three hour drive and are not even aware of the measure. What do you tell them? On Sundays everything is closed, where do they do their antigen test? In the best case, they lose another 1.5 hours. At PAL, the park that I manage, we lose 40% of the fluidity at the entrance. The control is long, the explanations, the advice, it creates tension, huge crowds at the entrance. And it's too late to recruit staff in high season. We don't find any. We had no delay to set up this pass. There, we felt betrayed by the government,whereas during the previous stages, our interlocutors were more attentive. It's crazy to hear a manager say to you lightly: C
It's almost nothing to go get vaccinated
. They do not know real people, real life, all social circles, including the most popular, who form an important part of our clientele.
