Amusement parks continue struggle against Covid
The amusement park industry is on the brink of collapse as owners are struggling to pay salaries, loans and hefty maintenance costs amid a continuing closure that began in April due to the recent resurgence of Covid-19.
The industry's plight primarily began in March this past year, when the coronavirus pandemic first started out to spread in the united states, prompting the federal government to turn off all tourist and entertainment centres for practically four months.
Although they finally reopened, the quantity of daily visitors plummeted by more than 50 % as people had become aware of their spending during the crisis while concern with infection likewise played a part.
And with the most recent lockdown that started out on April 14 this year, many employees include not received their total salaries.
Because of this, many staffers still left the industry searching for other professions while the ones that remain will work on a rotational basis, according to industry insiders.
"We are actually in a dire circumstances," explained GM Mustafizur Rahman, owner of Wonderland Group, which owns 11 parks across Bangladesh and employs about 3,500 people.
Rahman, who also pioneered children's amusement found in the united states by establishing Shyamoli Shishu Mela found in 1990, said he previously to shut down several of his parks because of major losses amid the pandemic.
The Bangladesh Association of CARNIVALS and Attractions (BAAPA) currently has over 280 members, a large number of whom went of business when confronted with continued losses because of Covid-19.
Considering the situation, Rahman urged the federal government to permit parks to reopen.
"We can provide our providers while maintaining health guidelines as we mainly operate in available air and spacious spots," he said.
Similarly, Anup Kumar Sarkar, executive director of the Concord Band of Corporations, which operates Fantasy Kingdom and Foy's Lake through Concord Entertainment, said that they might ensure every safety measure to ensure that people can enjoy the parks without concern.
Fantasy Kingdom, which hosted 2,000 site visitors daily on average through the pre-pandemic period, has been losing around Tk 10 lakh every day in lack of ticket and food sales.
Besides, park maintenance presents some unique challenges due to the equipment requires constant care, which is quite expensive.
"If the rides with complex machinery remain idle, they receive damaged permanently," Sarkar added.
The BAAPA has recently developed a standard operating procedure (SOP) to reopen the parks with the amount of daily people to be halved to make sure safety.
"The main problem is currently paying the salaries of personnel," said Tushar Bin Yousuf, ceo of Nandan Park.
Launched in 2003, the favorite park has been shut as April 1 amid the second wave of the pandemic and at the moment employs about 250 people.
On a standard day, it could host upwards of 2,000 visitors with the average invoice value greater than Tk 500 per person.
The primary income of the amusement park comes from visitors through the two Eid festivities but that didn't happen during the past three Eid because of Covid-19, Yousuf said.
Alimul Islam, chief operating officer of Magic Paradise Recreation area in Cumilla, said phrases cannot make clear the disastrous period they are passing.
"Although the park is closed, our costs usually do not stop. The monthly operating expense of our park and the salary of the personnel of 150 people is approximately Tk 25 lakh," he added.
Dinajpur's Swapnapuri, among the oldest private amusement parks in Bangladesh, features been struggling to fork out the salaries of its staff since March last year.
"I had to cut 35 staff as the repair cost of our recreation area is around Tk 16 lakh monthly," stated its Managing Director Delwar Hossain.
SM Kamal, managing director of Vinnya Jagat Amusement Recreation area in Rangpur, said they have already been trying to reopen for quite a while now but include yet to get any type of green transmission from the government.
Although the park is closed, it comes with an operating cost of Tk 18 lakh monthly.
Prabir Kumar Shaha, managing director of the Wish Holiday Park found in Narsingdi, said it is very tough to repay loan instalments in that situation.
The park was opened in 2012 and currently employs about 300 persons with a previous daily footfall of just one 1,000.
The federal government charges 7.5 % VAT on ticket revenue and 15 % VAT on food.
From this backdrop, the BAAPA demanded VAT and tax rebates for three years, the possibility to import rides and other machinery without VAT and a stimulus deal to ensure that the industry may survive.
