By Belenos! The irreducible Gauls of the village of Astérix and Obélix must have damn bit down their brakes, waiting for this news. But now, the sky that was to fall on their heads eventually cleared. Parc Astérix reopens on June 15 under the aegis of Nicolas Kremer who explains to Le Figaro how this “forced hibernation trip” went for the best ...
LE FIGARO. - What state of mind are you in for the reopening of the park?
NICOLAS KREMER. - We are impatient and above all very happy. It is first of all a relief to be able to reopen the park. We are above all reassured because we are coming out of a fairly complicated period. We were to start on April 4 for the start of the Easter holidays. And we were cut short in our tracks. We were preparing to integrate all the seasonal workers and especially to open our new hotel Les Quais de Lutèce which was to start the season ... In any case, everything is ready! The technical teams pampered the attractions during the confinement so that they start off on June 15.
How are the activities organized?
The entire park is accessible. The forty-two attractions are open, including the last inaugurated last year " Attention Menhir ". It has been slightly reworked because we cannot produce the pre-show. Two shows are provided: "Révérences" at the Dolphinarium and " Rififi in the farmyard " outside in the Gallic village.
Unfortunately, we had to give up on the innovations introduced last year. We had planned to expand the parade which was very popular, but it is difficult to ask the public to keep their distance during a parade. The same goes for the summer fireworks, as well as the Gallic banquet which invites visitors to share a joyful and convivial moment around large buffets. In addition, the two other indoor shows will not resume in 2020.
What health measures have you put in place?
Our goal is that our visitors can invest the park with significant health security. There is no traffic circuit within the park. Visitors can move freely, no route required. They are of course asked to respect the standards of distance, and they are recommended to wear masks in the aisles but without obligation. On the other hand in all the attractions and in certain queues which are serpentine like that of Oziris - and where the distance is difficult to maintain - the wearing of the mask will be essential. In thrill-seeking attractions people tend to scream, and there should be absolutely no risk of contamination.
The Oziris attraction. M. Cussot
Hydroalcoholic gel is made available to the public. The sanitary and common areas are very regularly cleaned. In shops, wearing a mask is also compulsory and contactless payment is preferred. In terms of catering, the public can sit inside or outside. We are in the green zone and we can therefore serve indoors. The tables are one meter apart.
Finally, we limit the number of people in the park: 5,000 entries on the first day and then we will gradually increase the gauge to 10,000. Now tickets are dated to be able to regulate the number of visitors.
What about stays in the park?
The three hotels on the site are open from Sunday evening so that you can enjoy the park from June 15. The welcome is very family friendly with quadruple rooms. We are inaugurating Les Quais de Lutèce this year. This hotel houses a reconstruction of Paris in the time of the Gauls as one can imagine. Inside the building, three bridges cross a stream to extend the experience of visitors and give them the feeling of living an immersive experience in the magical and jovial world of Asterix.
The new hotel Les Quais de Lutèce. Oziris Park