Futuroscope, the number one tourist site in France’s Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, is looking forward to two new openings for 2024, including a new themed water park called Aquascope, as well as an indoor show that it says brings together “the astonishing duo of a giant robot arm and a performer who will take you on a captivating journey through a world of video mapping, lasers and special effects.”
The park enjoyed a successful season in 2023, seeing an increase in attendance by 95,000 visitors, taking the total for the year to 1,975,000 guests. Futuroscope has more than 40 attractions for visitors to enjoy, including the Thea Award-winning Tornado Chasers, The Extraordinary Journey, the Destination Mars coaster and an IAAPA Brass Ring Award-winning open-air night show La Clé des Songes.
New additions for 2024
Futuroscope aims to increase its number of visits by 650,000 to 2.5 million visitors and is now halfway through its ambitious 2020-2030 investment plan. The most recent addition was the Hôtel Ecolodgee, which welcomed its first visitors in summer 2023.
This will be followed by the new indoor show opening in February 2024. In April 2024 the Futuropolis children’s area will expand to include new entertainment for the park’s youngest guests.
Aquascope, the new water park, will then launch in summer 2024. This will offer 7,500 square metres of indoor activities, with eight slides, a wave pool and a children’s play area. It will also feature immersive projections on the water.
Speaking to IAAPA in 2023 about plans for the park, Fuuroscope’s CEO Rodolphe Bouin said: “In 2024, we’re going to create a water park unlike anything that’s been done before in France or Europe.”
He continued: “The park will offer highly original aqua-digital experiences based on mapping projected on the water,” and added that the expansion will be “consistent with the park’s roots and values, which have allowed Futuroscope to retain its uniqueness for 36 years: innovation, humanity, optimism, and curiosity.”
Sustainability at Futuroscope
The park’s new Hôtel Ecolodgee features 120 wooden lodges within a biodiversity-friendly site, with woodland and river views. Bouin called it “a haven of peace after the day’s excitement,” adding that “we have chosen not to install any TVs or air conditioning in line with our eco-responsible positioning.” 1.8 hectares of the 3.5-hectare site are set aside for 15,000 trees and dry and wet meadows.
Futuroscope has been ISO 5001 certified for its energy performance management since 2019 and aims to be carbon neutral by 2025.
Since 2020, the park has bought 100% of its electricity from renewable energy sources and its goal is to become energy-positive in its future developments. Heating and cooling pumps were installed in June 2022 and a biomass heating system was added in 2023. 600 recharging points are due to be installed in the car parks by 2025 and the park also aims to reduce water usage by 30% per visitor by 2025.
