All the fun of the fair

Market experts all agree that after 18 months of Covid restrictions, consumers are longing for some entertainment; but, to get their fill, they are only gradually returning to mall. “Some centres, such as those owned by large fitness club chains, still haven’t opened since the last lockdown and tenants are already having to think about the autumn and the possibility of further restrictions,” admits Marta Mikołajczyk-Pyrć, the head of retail, mixed-use and industrial property management at Savills in Poland.

Wary and cautious

Nonetheless, it seems likely that a further wave of Covid will be dealt with in a different way than it was last year and that any restrictions will only apply to those who haven’t been vaccinated. “For restaurants and bars as well as entertainment sector tenants, this is not the best solution, but it will certainly be less drastic than a complete ban on operations,” points out the consultant from Savills. She also notes that more activity can be seen in the entertainment sector, but this is almost entirely happening in and around Warsaw. “Such activities generally started up again quite some time ago, but outside the capital city people are still very wary and cautious in their approach to expansion,” she explains. Paul Cawood, a director at the Sierra Balmain Group, points that despite the Covid-19 rules imposed on the entertainment sector, footfall has been steadily rising since the restrictions have been eased. “Bringing in this type of tenant requires a diversified investment strategy, while the potential rental income generated can also vary. Each new attraction is assessed individually in relation to its location,” he insists. Nonetheless, when asked if his company had changed its approach to this type of business as a result of Covid, he replied: “Certainly not. For us as the owner and manager of 17 shopping centres in Poland, what’s important is pursuing our strategy and not shutting down because of some possible eventuality. We are continually having to face the challenges thrown up by successive restrictions over the past 18 months, but for us, life goes on. That’s why we will follow our plans as far as our finances allow and continue to work with our partners in offering our customers the best possible attractions to generate both higher footfall and revenues.”

The announced autumn opening of Funzeum in the Europa Centralna mall in Gliwice could be taken as confirmation of these words. The 4,000 sqm museum of art and illusion will be the first of its type in Poland. According to Marta Mikołajczyk-Pyrć, entertainment and recreation tenants were hit hard during the lockdowns, but despite this most want to continue operating – and what they are keeping their fingers crossed that no further complete closures are announced. “Some of them have tailored what they offer to the circumstances of the pandemic, for example, by providing online fitness classes, and some have even modified their businesses to offer services that aren’t covered by the restrictions,” she explains.

Showing courage

The sector also includes independent entertainment centres, which often come with their own accommodation facilities and restaurants. And the pandemic has certainly not passed over such theme and water parks. Despite all of this, the opening ceremony was held this summer during the height of the pandemic for Suntago Village, a complex of 92 bungalows near Mszczonów (about 30 km southwest of Warsaw). It forms part of the Park of Poland, a large leisure development that also includes Suntago – the biggest indoor water park in Europe. This is not just a destination for one-day outings, but also a resort where tourists can go for longer periods. The park’s owners and managers certainly have nothing to complain about when it comes to the number of visitors. Every day, within the first hour of opening, large crowds gather outside with people queuing for many hours, which just goes to show that the backers of such developments have little to fear from the long-term effects of the pandemic.

Energyland in the town of Zator between Kraków and Katowice is another very popular amusement park – and maybe more so since the pandemic. The park’s management refused to comment on their plans in the event of another lockdown and simply stated that they don’t believe that such a thing will happen. This gigantic park has also grown recently with the addition of another water attraction making it the largest open-air water park in Poland, covering an area of almost 5 ha. The park also opened up its sixth zone, which it calls Aqualantis, where ten new rides are planned, eight restaurant areas, as well as gaming areas and stores. Kris Kojder, Energyland’s press officer, has also announced the opening of a seventh area called Sweet Valley for the 2022 holiday season, which will feature the Choc Chip Creek rollercoaster.

And this is not the only park that is undergoing rapid expansion. Mandoria, according to its owners, is now the largest indoor amusement park in Europe. The centre near Łódź opened this summer and features 20 rides and attractions for both children and adults. The park is designed to look like a renaissance market town. “There are six eating zones in the City of Adventure, including two restaurants, all of which are run by us,” reveals Daniel Zieliński, the manager of Mandoria. Construction work on the park began in 2019, when pandemics, as Daniel Zieliński puts it, were just something you saw in the movies. “We went into the lockdown at a very advanced stage of the construction and we already knew that the project was going to be completed, even though it was going to take a bit longer,” he recalls. “We only took the decision to open in July after a careful analysis of the pandemic in Poland. We also made the assumption that spending time in our park would help parents and children counteract the detrimental psychological effects of the pandemic,” he explains before adding: “Despite the ongoing pandemic the numbers of visitors are much higher than we had expected, and this is certainly due to the tourism vouchers, which have given many families additional financial resources to spend on leisure,” suggests Mandoria’s manager. He also points out that the large numbers of visitors pose several challenges for the owners and management of Mandoria, including ensuring everyone’s safety. “Under the current legislation, Mandoria is still subject to pandemic regulations. No one can enter the park without wearing a protective mask and our staff continually remind people to do so. If a person does not have a mask, they are provided with one at the entrance free of charge. Throughout the park, notices are posted informing people of the requirement to wear a mask. And we also maintain high disinfection standards with disinfectant foam dispensers located throughout the park,” insists Daniel Zieliński. Even though very little time has passed since the park’s official opening, extension work is already underway and new rides are planned for the coming year.

It wasn’t so bad, but…

Looking at the market today it would appear that the pandemic has not stopped Poles from visiting leisure and amusement facilities, even though it’s now much more complicated to do so. It’s a similar story with project development within the sector. Plans and schedules have had to be modified, but have not prevented the construction of new centres and extensions from going ahead. It’s tempting to come to the conclusion that the air of uncertainty that hangs over amusement parks has been actually encouraging more people to come and visit, while such centres are still open. “In the end, we all want to go back to doing business without restrictions and with the certainty that the rules are not going to change from day to day,” concludes Marta Mikołajczyk-Pyrć of Savills.