The enthusiasm is confirmed week by week: five months after its opening, the Aquascope is doing better than keeping its promises. It has already attracted nearly 230,000 people between its opening on July 15 and December 15, 2024. It has also won two prestigious world prizes, awarded by its peers.
A more than successful launch for a unique park of its kind. In addition to the eight slides in its “sensations” area and the equally dreamlike and fun universe of its “children’s” area, it stands out from all other water parks with its “immersion” area: an environment where water, video and light shows immerse bathers in a cascade of images and new sensations.
This bet was deemed impossible, smiles Rodolphe Bouin, general director of Futuroscope. Marrying water and video seemed to pose so many technical difficulties that many operators did not take up the challenge. But it is in Futuroscope’s DNA to open new avenues.
An increase in three-day stays
The park has positioned itself as a pioneer since its creation, in 1987. In particular with a unique offer of giant images. This corporate culture has remained its signature. More recently, the combination of technologies implemented for “The Extraordinary Journey” was a new testimony. With its 17 m diameter and 8 m height, for a total surface area of 420 m2the cylindrical LED screen of “Tornado Hunters” was the largest in the world…
For Aquascope, the company Futuroscope Maintenance et Développement, which notably ensures the engineering of the new attractions in conjunction with the park’s management board and the creative director, Olivier Heral, worked with a Canadian company, Moment Factory. And achieved what many considered impossible by introducing the most recent image technologies into an aquatic universe.
The public response was quick. So much so that from August, the park had to make certain adaptations to better manage the flow of visitors, although it was limited to 3,000 people per day in high season. Especially since the average visit duration, which the park management thought would be four hours, turned out to be longer: four and a half hours.
The catering area, in particular, proved insufficient: “As early as this summer, we reacted quickly with temporary solutions. We added food trucks. Then, we built a temporary space while waiting to build something permanent. »
“We consider that it takes a year to stabilize an attraction”
Some adaptations have also made it possible to improve the fluidity of access to the slides. Technical adjustments that are common when launching a new park, explains Rodolphe Bouin: “We consider that it takes a year to stabilize an attraction. »
The general director of Futuroscope also announced others in January, the only month that Aquascope was closed: “It will allow us to make some small modifications that will change a lot of things. Sometimes, putting the button on the right to launch a slide to the left or shifting it by 50 cm can improve both working conditions and the visitor experience. »
Until then, the Aquascope will continue to ride a very promising wave. Attendance for the All Saints’ Day holidays followed the same trajectory as that of the summer, with daily figures of 3,000 then 2,500 people. The end-of-year school holidays are shaping up to be excellent prospects given the reservations recorded. The public is also there in large numbers, between holiday periods.
“We are certain of achieving our objective of 500,000 admissions in year 1. We have very good hopes of exceeding it”summarizes Rodolphe Bouin.
But this will not be the only objective achieved. By strengthening its offering with the opening of a water park, Futuroscope set itself the strategic objective of increasing the length of stay. On this point too, the figures support the relevance of this destination logic.
“To validate this strategy, we had to transform 10% of our population from one day into two days and 10% of the population from two days into three days. For now, we are beyond”explains Rodolphe Bouin: “The increase in three-day stays is very strong. Before Aquascope, they represented 8% of visits. From Aquascope, it’s 19% and even 23% in August and All Saints’ Day. There really was a before and after July 15, 2024.”
Alain Defaye
Two world awards in two months
The creativity of Futuroscope and its ability to implement new technologies have already won it several world awards. “Tornado Hunters” was crowned the best attraction in the world in 2023.
The Aquascope is part of this DNA. He has just won two very prestigious trophies.
The first of these was the one awarded to him in Las Vegas in October by the World Waterpark Association. Bringing together the world’s water parks, this association awarded it the prize for innovation and creativity.
The Aquascope has also just won the title of “best aquatic prize in the world”. It was awarded to him in November, in Orlando, by the Themed Entertainment Association (THEA). This non-profit association brings together 700 parks and shows in around forty countries. Aquascope will receive its award in Hollywood on March 15, 2025.
