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Compagnie des Alpes first quarter results affected
Compagnie des Alpes (CDA), which owns and operates ten leisure parks and attractions in Europe including Walibi amusement parks, Parc Asterix, Futuroscope and the Grevin wax museum, announced its consolidated sales for the first quarter of fiscal year 2012/2013 ended December 31, 2012. Amounting to €105.5 million, it is down 3.5% compared to the same period in the previous fiscal year.
The CDA Group - whose main business is the management of ski areas - explains the below-average financial performance by the shifting of the Christmas holidays in France, a calendar effect (a weekend operating less than in 2011) which mainly affected the activity of leisure parks (in particular Futuroscope) whose turnover was down 12.2% to €41.4 million.
In addition, one of the parks (Dolfinarium in the Netherlands) remained closed throughout the quarter as part of refurbishments. This revenues in decline should nevertheless not impact unduly the annual results, this period of activity (October-December) being structurally weak for the group: it accounts for about 15% of the annual activity.
Despite these negative results, the French operator indicates that the first quarter was positively affected by the successful events of Halloween in several parks, including at Parc Astérix (France) and Walibi Holland (The Netherlands) where attendance was up 6% while sales were respectively up 10% and 9%.
If the activity of the leisure parks for the second quarter will be insignificant (most of the sites remain closed), CDA Group has high hope for the 2013 season, in particular due to the investments engaged at Bellewaerde Park (an new indoor family coaster), Walibi Belgium (the reopening of an existing launch coaster after a complete makeover) and Walibi Holland which will open a new concept of accomodation (the Walibi Village).
Not to forget the opening in April of the first Grévin wax museum abroad (in Montréal, Canada), an important step in the international expansion wished by the group that recently unveiled the strategic ambitions for the future (see our previous article).
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