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From Norse mythology to a day out at the zoo,
we look at a series of multi-million dollar coasters
that recently debuted at visitor attractions around the world
People profile: Anton Vidal
Anton Vidal is director general of Poble Espanyol which has completed a 10-year, €10m improvement plan
Interview: Coen Bertens
Fairytale theme park Efteling has
gone from strength to strength
during its 65-year history, enchanting
more visitors last year than
ever before. We talk to COO Coen
Bertens about its success
Promotional feature: EAS - Learning curves
This year’s Euro Attractions Show promises to
be the biggest in the history of the event, with
a brand new schedule of seminars to match
Aquariums: High Waters
We visited the brand new Aquatis
Aquarium-Vivarium in Switzerland
for a journey through our planet’s
freshwater environments
Promotional feature: nWave - The big picture
With more than two decades
of experience creating high quality
original content, nWave looks
ahead as it continues to produce
its own industry-leading creations
Analysis: TEA/AECOM Theme Index 2017
The TEA/AECOM Report 2017 shows major theme park
operators had an outstanding year, while stabilised global
economies and strong investment planning bodes well
for the global attractions industry going forward
Analysis: EMEA Focus
Margreet Papamichael, founder of CLEAR Associates about what The TEA/AECOM Report 2017 means for the EMEA region
Review: MuseumNext
Intellectuals from across the
museums sector gathered recently for
the European edition of MuseumNext
Theme parks: Playing the Looney Tune
As new and exciting leisure opportunities
increase in the Middle East, Yas
Island welcomes the US$1bn Warner
Bros World Abu Dhabi. We speak to
the two key members of the team
behind the landmark project
Museums: License to Thrill
A brand new James Bond visitor attraction,
nestled snugly inside a mountain peak
in Sölden, Austria, opened this July. We
talked to the operator and architect
Bolliger & Mabillard VALKYRIA Liseberg Gothenburg, Sweden Valkyria, a steel dive coaster created by Bolliger & Mabillard, took its maiden flight on 10 August, representing the largest ever investment made in Swedish theme park Liseberg’s 95-year history.
A US$33.6m investment, which also includes Loke – a Gyro Swing manufactured by Intamin – Valkyria is a key part of the park’s long-term masterplan. Its name is derived from the Norse mythology creature Valkyrie – a mythological creature that took fallen warriors into the afterlife.
“Valkyria is important. It is the biggest investment in the history of the park – and one of the most complicated projects we have completed,” Liseberg CEO Andreas Andersen told Attractions Management.
“It’s the last ‘big’ attraction we can construct in the park for the next few years, because we have a very extensive infrastructure project being built in the north part of the park – and our expansion project in the south end of the park – both starting up in 2019. In that sense, Valkyria is a bit like an insurance policy, making sure we have a relevant and updated attraction product for the next few years.”
Climbing to 47m with drops of up to 50m, Valkyria includes three inversions and is laid out over 700m. The ride, which reaches speeds of up to 65.2mph, replaces Kanonen – a US$5.6m steel launch coaster from Intamin, which was dismantled at the end of 2016.
“Valkyria is the perfect complement to our coaster portfolio, which also includes Helix, Balder and Lisebergbanan,” said Andersen. “With the elaborate theming and landscaping here at Liseberg, it fits the park very well.”
Valkyria is Liseberg’s largest ever investment
Vekoma TWEESTRYD Wildlands Adventure Zoo Emmen Drenthe, the Netherlands African for ‘Duel’, the Tweestryd twin shuttle coaster is a new addition to the Wildlands Adventure Zoo in Drenthe.
A story-driven “adventure zoo” opened in 2016 to replace its home of 80 years, Wildlands houses more than 7,000 animals along with its rides to tell a story of discovering new worlds and experiencing adventure.
Joining the hybrid attraction’s ‘Serenga’ area, themed to recreate the savanna and desert habitats of Africa, Tweestryd opened to the public in March.
Installed by RCS GmbH and manufactured by Vekoma as a custom version of its family boomerang-style coaster, Tweestryd is 218m in length, with the ride reaching heights of 20m and going as fast as 37.3mph.
The story of the attraction is that of a mine which closed 40 years prior. It features two separate tracks sitting next to each other, with passengers being lifted up backwards, before being released launched forwards and then backwards again in a race back to the station.
Following the theme, when riders race each other, depending on the result, money will be committed to the charity ActionAid, which works to fight poverty and injustice worldwide. If the blue cart wins, riders are supporting the charity’s work related to fair mining, and if the red one wins, riders will be raising money for sustainable agricultural projects.
The park chose an African name because of the themed area the coaster is set in
The Vekoma-designed Tweestryd races to win money for charity
The Vekoma-designed Tweestryd races to win money for charity
Intamin HYPERION Energylandia Zator, Malopolskie, Poland A new addition to Poland’s Energylandia, Hyperion is an Intamin-manufactured steel hyper rollercoaster, which takes the crown from PortAventura’s Shambhala as the tallest and fastest hyper coaster in Europe.
The ride, which opened to the public on 14 July and follows a sci-fi theme, climbs 77m, with a drop of 80m, reaching maximum velocity of 88.2mph. It starts inside a space station setting with a research team (the riders) sent on a research mission to Saturn’s moon of Hyperion. The crew’s spaceship enters a black hole, passing through space and time into another universe.
The track extends 1,450m, creating feelings of weightlessness and extreme gravity through the ride’s twists and turns. It also features a water splash and has two trains, each able to carry up to 28 people.
Hyperion joins three Intamin water rides installed at the park this year. These include the Speed Water Coaster, the Anaconda spillwater ride and the Jungle Adventure river rapids.
Intamin’s trains allow riders to experience the feeling of “flying through the air”, even for taller people
Passengers are immersed in a space scenario on a research mission to Saturn’s moon – Hyperion
Bolliger & Mabillard FENIX Toverland Limburg, Netherlands Opened on 7 July, Toverland’s new Fenix coaster is the “ultimate flying experience”, according to its operator.
While the mythical firebird the ride is named after only rises from its own ashes every 777 years, the steel wing coaster runs a little more frequently, taking one minute and 45 seconds to complete its circuit.
Covering 813m and climbing 40m, the coaster includes three inversions, reaching speeds of up to 59mph and creating the sensation of flight.
Elements of the ride include a dive drop, immelmann loop, helix and a Zero-G roll. IMAscore created the ride music, while RCS GmbH installed the US$19.7m attraction.
Fenix joins several new attractions as part of Avalon – a new themed area for Toverland representing the largest expansion in the park’s history. A total investment of US$40.6m, Fenix is joined by Merlin’s Quest – a water attraction that passes underneath the coaster – as well as an interactive magic show.
With its expansion, Toverland has stated its ambition to break the one million visitor mark over a full season. The park’s owners plan to increase the length of stay with further ride developments, as well as the opening a four-star hotel resort.
The B&M ride reaches speeds of up to 59mph, with three inversions
Merlin’s Quest is a new water attraction which passes underneath Fenix
From Norse mythology to a day out at the zoo,
we look at a series of multi-million dollar coasters
that recently debuted at visitor attractions around the world
People profile: Anton Vidal
Anton Vidal is director general of Poble Espanyol which has completed a 10-year, €10m improvement plan
Interview: Coen Bertens
Fairytale theme park Efteling has
gone from strength to strength
during its 65-year history, enchanting
more visitors last year than
ever before. We talk to COO Coen
Bertens about its success
Promotional feature: EAS - Learning curves
This year’s Euro Attractions Show promises to
be the biggest in the history of the event, with
a brand new schedule of seminars to match
Aquariums: High Waters
We visited the brand new Aquatis
Aquarium-Vivarium in Switzerland
for a journey through our planet’s
freshwater environments
Promotional feature: nWave - The big picture
With more than two decades
of experience creating high quality
original content, nWave looks
ahead as it continues to produce
its own industry-leading creations
Analysis: TEA/AECOM Theme Index 2017
The TEA/AECOM Report 2017 shows major theme park
operators had an outstanding year, while stabilised global
economies and strong investment planning bodes well
for the global attractions industry going forward
Analysis: EMEA Focus
Margreet Papamichael, founder of CLEAR Associates about what The TEA/AECOM Report 2017 means for the EMEA region
Review: MuseumNext
Intellectuals from across the
museums sector gathered recently for
the European edition of MuseumNext
Theme parks: Playing the Looney Tune
As new and exciting leisure opportunities
increase in the Middle East, Yas
Island welcomes the US$1bn Warner
Bros World Abu Dhabi. We speak to
the two key members of the team
behind the landmark project
Museums: License to Thrill
A brand new James Bond visitor attraction,
nestled snugly inside a mountain peak
in Sölden, Austria, opened this July. We
talked to the operator and architect
Bolliger & Mabillard VALKYRIA Liseberg Gothenburg, Sweden Valkyria, a steel dive coaster created by Bolliger & Mabillard, took its maiden flight on 10 August, representing the largest ever investment made in Swedish theme park Liseberg’s 95-year history.
A US$33.6m investment, which also includes Loke – a Gyro Swing manufactured by Intamin – Valkyria is a key part of the park’s long-term masterplan. Its name is derived from the Norse mythology creature Valkyrie – a mythological creature that took fallen warriors into the afterlife.
“Valkyria is important. It is the biggest investment in the history of the park – and one of the most complicated projects we have completed,” Liseberg CEO Andreas Andersen told Attractions Management.
“It’s the last ‘big’ attraction we can construct in the park for the next few years, because we have a very extensive infrastructure project being built in the north part of the park – and our expansion project in the south end of the park – both starting up in 2019. In that sense, Valkyria is a bit like an insurance policy, making sure we have a relevant and updated attraction product for the next few years.”
Climbing to 47m with drops of up to 50m, Valkyria includes three inversions and is laid out over 700m. The ride, which reaches speeds of up to 65.2mph, replaces Kanonen – a US$5.6m steel launch coaster from Intamin, which was dismantled at the end of 2016.
“Valkyria is the perfect complement to our coaster portfolio, which also includes Helix, Balder and Lisebergbanan,” said Andersen. “With the elaborate theming and landscaping here at Liseberg, it fits the park very well.”
Valkyria is Liseberg’s largest ever investment
Vekoma TWEESTRYD Wildlands Adventure Zoo Emmen Drenthe, the Netherlands African for ‘Duel’, the Tweestryd twin shuttle coaster is a new addition to the Wildlands Adventure Zoo in Drenthe.
A story-driven “adventure zoo” opened in 2016 to replace its home of 80 years, Wildlands houses more than 7,000 animals along with its rides to tell a story of discovering new worlds and experiencing adventure.
Joining the hybrid attraction’s ‘Serenga’ area, themed to recreate the savanna and desert habitats of Africa, Tweestryd opened to the public in March.
Installed by RCS GmbH and manufactured by Vekoma as a custom version of its family boomerang-style coaster, Tweestryd is 218m in length, with the ride reaching heights of 20m and going as fast as 37.3mph.
The story of the attraction is that of a mine which closed 40 years prior. It features two separate tracks sitting next to each other, with passengers being lifted up backwards, before being released launched forwards and then backwards again in a race back to the station.
Following the theme, when riders race each other, depending on the result, money will be committed to the charity ActionAid, which works to fight poverty and injustice worldwide. If the blue cart wins, riders are supporting the charity’s work related to fair mining, and if the red one wins, riders will be raising money for sustainable agricultural projects.
The park chose an African name because of the themed area the coaster is set in
The Vekoma-designed Tweestryd races to win money for charity
The Vekoma-designed Tweestryd races to win money for charity
Intamin HYPERION Energylandia Zator, Malopolskie, Poland A new addition to Poland’s Energylandia, Hyperion is an Intamin-manufactured steel hyper rollercoaster, which takes the crown from PortAventura’s Shambhala as the tallest and fastest hyper coaster in Europe.
The ride, which opened to the public on 14 July and follows a sci-fi theme, climbs 77m, with a drop of 80m, reaching maximum velocity of 88.2mph. It starts inside a space station setting with a research team (the riders) sent on a research mission to Saturn’s moon of Hyperion. The crew’s spaceship enters a black hole, passing through space and time into another universe.
The track extends 1,450m, creating feelings of weightlessness and extreme gravity through the ride’s twists and turns. It also features a water splash and has two trains, each able to carry up to 28 people.
Hyperion joins three Intamin water rides installed at the park this year. These include the Speed Water Coaster, the Anaconda spillwater ride and the Jungle Adventure river rapids.
Intamin’s trains allow riders to experience the feeling of “flying through the air”, even for taller people
Passengers are immersed in a space scenario on a research mission to Saturn’s moon – Hyperion
Bolliger & Mabillard FENIX Toverland Limburg, Netherlands Opened on 7 July, Toverland’s new Fenix coaster is the “ultimate flying experience”, according to its operator.
While the mythical firebird the ride is named after only rises from its own ashes every 777 years, the steel wing coaster runs a little more frequently, taking one minute and 45 seconds to complete its circuit.
Covering 813m and climbing 40m, the coaster includes three inversions, reaching speeds of up to 59mph and creating the sensation of flight.
Elements of the ride include a dive drop, immelmann loop, helix and a Zero-G roll. IMAscore created the ride music, while RCS GmbH installed the US$19.7m attraction.
Fenix joins several new attractions as part of Avalon – a new themed area for Toverland representing the largest expansion in the park’s history. A total investment of US$40.6m, Fenix is joined by Merlin’s Quest – a water attraction that passes underneath the coaster – as well as an interactive magic show.
With its expansion, Toverland has stated its ambition to break the one million visitor mark over a full season. The park’s owners plan to increase the length of stay with further ride developments, as well as the opening a four-star hotel resort.
The B&M ride reaches speeds of up to 59mph, with three inversions
Merlin’s Quest is a new water attraction which passes underneath Fenix
The UK spa review and discovery platform for consumers, the Good Spa Guide, has announced
it will host the Good Spa Guide Awards 2026 during an event on 16 November at Sopwell House
Hotel in St Albans, UK.
Eighty-four per cent of consumers now say wellness is a top priority in their lives, with this
percentage increasing year on year, according to a preview presentation of McKinsey’s Future of
Wellness 2026 research report.
Mass protests have been taking place since Monday 1 June in Albania over the development of
a luxury resort by Donald Trump’s daughter Ivanka Trump and her husband Jared Kushner.
Global Wellness Day (GWD) marked its 15th anniversary on Saturday 13 June 2026, with the
theme: #JoyMagenta – a celebration of the healing qualities of simple gestures and activities
that spark joy.
Global luxury hospitality brand, Six Senses, has partnered with longevity healthcare provider,
HUM2N, to launch a clinic at Six Senses London, at The Whiteley.
As part of its first hotel partnership, Mayrlife – the medical health resort company known for its
site in Altaussee, Austria – has launched a day clinic at the Rosewood Vienna.
Premium London health club, KX Chelsea, will imminently unveil its most significant
redevelopment since its launch in 2002 to create an integrated wellness model combining
training, recovery and relaxation.
Rosewood Le Guanahani St Barth, on the northeast coast of Saint Barthélemy in the French
West Indies, is offering a programme of ocean-inspired yoga classes between 8-14 June to
celebrate Global Wellness Day (GWD).
Hotel de France, located on the British Isle of Jersey, has created a wellness retreat package
that includes a hot yoga session that will take place in Jersey Zoo’s butterfly sanctuary.
The Ritz-Carlton, Langkawi, in Malaysia, has revealed a schedule for Global Wellness Day
(GWD) that includes guided rainforest walks, mindful movement and guided coastal meditation
experiences.
