Juliana Gilling

1 month ago | iaapa.org | Juliana Gilling

Europa-Park’s pre-opening 50th anniversary celebration in March felt like a family reunion. Half a century after Roland Mack and his late father Franz Mack launched what would become Germany’s largest theme park, friends, colleagues, and the entertainment world’s glitterati applauded Europa-Park’s milestone achievement. The Mack family has always balanced tradition with forward thinking and they arrived at the park gates with a vintage bus full of today’s visitors—children.

1 month ago | iaapa.org | Juliana Gilling

Winning strategies, ideas, and innovations will take center stage at the 2025 IAAPA Honors. Europa-Park in Rust, Germany, will host this extraordinary annual celebration of the attractions industry’s finest from April 28-30. “It is a true recognition of leaders, by leaders,” says IAAPA CEO Jakob Wahl. More than an awards ceremony, the IAAPA Honors event is an exciting and immersive experience. Attendees can expect three action-packed days of peer recognition, insights, and networking.

Oct 8, 2024 | iaapa.org | Juliana Gilling

Parc Astérix has occupied a special place in the hearts of the French and comic book fans since its opening in 1989. The park is themed to French hero Astérix and his pal Obélix, the characters created by René Goscinny and Albert Uderzo. Throughout its 35 years of operation, Parc Astérix’s beloved characters and distinctively Gallic charms have helped it prosper despite tough competition from nearby attractions, museums, and Paris’ own notable icons.

Sep 30, 2024 | iaapa.org | Juliana Gilling

Imagine a steam train that doesn’t depend on a roaring coal fire to generate the steam driving its wheels. Efteling, the enchanting theme park resort in the Netherlands, is turning that idea into a reality by converting its popular steam trains to run on battery-electric technologies. Efteling aims to be climate-neutral by 2030 and climate-positive by 2032, therefore transitioning the railroad to a more sustainable power source.

Sep 26, 2024 | iaapa.org | Juliana Gilling

While IAAPA Expo Europe 2024 carried on in Amsterdam, Hurricane Helene headed for Mexico and Florida. Floods have hit the United Kingdom, Poland, Czech Republic, Austria, Africa, and France in the past week. These events are a stark reminder of the growing impacts of climate change. As the Earth warms, rainfall patterns change, and sea levels rise, the risk of heatwaves, floods, droughts, and fires rises. The global attractions industry must adapt.