During the "Day Recreation Live" networking event, an interesting discussion took place about the future of day recreation. Led by Goof Lukken (BUas), Rens Willemsen (Beekse Bergen Safari Park), Anne Kloek (Geertjes Hoeve), and Timo van Boekel (Ginder) discussed trends and developments.
Day recreation is a rapidly evolving sector. Its character is still largely defined by the many small businesses, but scaling up, chain formation, and innovation are creating a completely new dynamic.
The general conclusion
Some trends that are discussed:
Year-round operation and distribution
Beekse Bergen Safari Park is open year-round and should offer suitable activities even on less pleasant days. A good example of a successful project is the "Light Safari" during the winter months. Goof Lukken also mentions light shows in zoos and amusement parks as a trend to enhance traditional outdoor attractions during the winter months.
Anne Kloek of Geertjes Hoeve has noticed that there is also an increasingly better distribution within the weekly schedule: “Wednesday is now almost as busy as a weekend day.”
Playing with length of stay
Timo van Boekel of the consultancy firm Ginder compiles the Top 50 Day Recreational Activities (in collaboration with Pretwerk.nl) every year and sees a significant difference in visit duration within the offerings. "Most day attractions are visited as a 'day out.' The biggest growth is in shorter excursions – 1 to 2 hours. More and more recreation companies are capitalizing on this.
An authentic concept
Geertjes Hoeve is originally a rural attraction, but it now attracts around 150.000 visitors annually. Anne Kloek: “We focus on several target groups. Besides being an attractive location for families with children, we also welcome many business guests on weekdays who come here to network. A key element in making a venue attractive is a distinctive offering. Our character is largely defined by the regional products we produce on our own goat farm. That authenticity is highly valued.”
Timo van Boekel also agrees with this trend: "There's a lot of choice for a day out in the Netherlands. And consumers are pretty spoiled. Unique experiences are a way to differentiate yourself."
Education as added value
Geertjes Hoeve is introducing a new term (for me): "Reduatie." It's a fusion of recreation and education. Kloek: "We want to be educational without being pushy. At the goat farm, children learn about goats and farm life through play."
Education also plays a key role at Beekse Bergen. Rens Willemsen: “I recognize the informal atmosphere of Geertjes Hoeve. Here too, visitors decide for themselves what they want to take away from their visit. Even at our indoor play paradise, Speelland, education plays a role in the background. This is an additional reason for various target groups (e.g., school trips) to choose us.”
The (interactive) influence of the guest
That might sound like a cliché, "putting the customer first," but there's still a lot to be gained in this area. At Beekse Bergen, guests are actively involved in developing new offerings. Willemsen: "Our guests determine the themes for new activities. We usually start by setting up a pilot program to see if a new activity is a success. And then we expand the initiative further. That's how it went with our light safaris."
Timo van Boekel also sees that new technology can play a role in this area. "Many marketers now use personas to reflect new developments. Thanks to the rise of AI, you can already present prototypes of new concepts to AI avatars, who can immediately give you feedback on their experiences."
Willemsen mentions another important development where the recreation sector can distinguish itself: "Many people live in the world of their mobile phones these days. We see it as a victory when our guests don't use their phones all day. Then they can focus on each other and the activities at our park."
Scaling up and the rise of FECs
Finally, the issue of economies of scale is also addressed. Timo van Boekel sees increasing chain formation in the day recreation sector. He also mentions the rise of Family Entertainment Centers, where multiple activities are clustered together. These are developments that will become more dominant in the coming years. I'm curious to see when we can add the first FEC to the list of the top 50 day attractions.
This scaling up also presents its own challenges. For example, it's becoming increasingly difficult to find locations in the Netherlands for larger projects (with nitrogen restrictions and grid congestion also playing a role).
Beekse Bergen also aims to continue growing in the coming years. Willemsen sees advantages in internationalization, among other things. "We've been receiving more and more visitors from abroad in recent years. Across the border in Belgium, the density of attractions is much higher. So that presents opportunities for us."
Thanks to (speakers on this Talkshow):
- Timo van Boekel, consultant at Ginder consultancy, compiler day recreation Top 50 and an extensive background in day recreation.
- Rens Willemsen, general manager at Safari Park Beekse Bergen and Speelland Beekse Bergen. (Both part of the Libema Group)
- Anne Kloek – entrepreneur / owner of Geertje's Farm – a company at the intersection of agriculture (goat farm) and hospitality.
- Goof Lukken, the moderator of this talk show and connected as a lecturer recreation of the Breda University of Applied Sciences (BUas)
This performance was part of Dagrecreatie Live – a networking day for the day recreation sector at the Evenementenhal Gorinchem, featuring, among other things, a modest exhibition floor, a knowledge program, and the presentation of the national Awards for ' The Best Day Out '.