5.56 million visitors to Efteling in 2023

Some 5.56 million visitors visited Efteling for a day or weekend away last year, setting another record for the amusement park in Kaatsheuvel, Holland, following the record of 2022. In 2023, more visitors from Germany and England visited Efteling than ever before. The German visitors accounted for 33% of the total growth in visitor numbers, whilst English visitors accounted for 12% of growth in numbers, and Belgian visitors accounted for 48% of growth. The Netherlands in particular saw a big increase in the number of annual pass holders.

The theme park paid a lot of attention to its cultural heritage last year, including maintenance and innovation. In spring, the Anton Pieck square from 1954 was freshened up, where, among other things, the merry-go-rounds received a lot of attention and founder Anton Pieck was given a temporary exhibition in the Efteling Museum. Nearly 12,000 additional solar panels were also installed, bringing the park’s total to 25,000. In autumn, a new heat-cold storage (HCS) energy system was commissioned through which, amongst others, the attraction Fata Morgana and restaurant Backerei Krümel have been sustainably cooled and heated, and overall gas consumption has been reduced by 20%. This year, the park looks forward to an all-new attraction, Danse Macabre, and the continued construction of Efteling Grand Hotel, as international numbers continue to grow.

International visitors

"We are grateful that visitors know how to find us again and again," says Fons Jurgens, CEO of Efteling. "The fact that our growth in 2023 is mainly due to international visitors really feels like the icing on the cake. It is fully in line with our vision towards 2030 in which continuity and independence are central, an increase in guests is not an end goal in itself for Efteling. To stay in the top European parks, we want to become an international short-stay destination scoring 9+ from visitors. The bar is high, but together we are working hard for it. Last year's guest satisfaction score sat at an average of 8.64 so we are on the right track. The 2023 visitor numbers give us confidence and I am looking forward immensely to what 2024 will bring us."
 

About Efteling:

Since the opening in 1952, more than 130 million visitors have experienced an unforgettable day at Efteling, in the south of Holland. Over the years, Efteling has grown to become one of Europe’s biggest theme parks, with a unique fairytale atmosphere, natural surroundings and a wide range of thrilling attractions. It is now ranked in the top 25 theme parks in the world, according to the Tea Theme Index 2021. Efteling is open all year round and is an ideal family short-break destination with the Efteling Hotel and the holiday villages Efteling Bosrijk and Efteling Loonsche Land just a stone’s throw away. Through a programme of phased growth, Efteling became an international destination with five million visitors per year.

For further information please visit: www.efteling.com/en