Compliments have been received from France to the municipality of Meppel and the province of Drenthe. Guillaume Allaire, director of international affairs at Puy du Fou, praises the unconditional support of the two governments.
“They have both made an extraordinary effort to make this project a reality,” he says. The location was also seen positively. “The park was ideally located between the north and south of the Netherlands, with connections to the main road and railway infrastructure,” says Allaire about the plans. “In addition, the location provided access to an area with plenty of purchasing power and was suitable for a leisure destination.”
At the end of last year, research by Puy du Fou showed that two other locations in Europe were preferred to Meppel. These two locations are located in an area that can attract twice as many people as Meppel and also have less competition around them. By focusing on those locations, Puy du Fou expects to make more financial profit than in Meppel, because these places attract more people.
The two remaining places also have an advantage culturally. For example, the French see more possibilities here in terms of themes and a greater interest in historical and cultural subjects from the population. “Some historical topics in the Netherlands are still very sensitive,” explains Allaire.
Apart from employment and the expansion of recreation, the municipality of Meppel was very pleased with the plans that Puy du Fou had for the nature in the area. Mayor Richard Korteland made it clear several times that the French had placed a strict demand on the municipality to integrate the park into nature. Of the sixty hectares intended for the park, approximately ten to twenty percent would be developed.
Read more below the photo