Racism allegations – Europa-Park closes «jungle raft trip» because of criticism

Black people in traditional clothing, next to white colonial rulers in beige safari suits and hats: this is what the “jungle raft trip” looks like in Europa-Park. Not anymore. The amusement park closes the track, as the news agency dpa writes.

Because the 40-year-old attraction has been criticized for years because of racist representations. That is why the amusement park replaced, among other things, a figure of a black man who is riding down a cable car under a monkey. In addition, the food stand was renamed from “Colonial Food Station” to “Adventure Food Station”.

Now the jungle ride is being replaced by a new train. This will be assigned to the subject area Austria. “The redesign has been in the planning for several years,” says Dieter Borer from the Swiss external office of the amusement park about 20 minutes. Corona delayed the plans.

“The jungle raft trip is thematically outdated and generally getting old,” explains Borer. The attraction was inaugurated shortly after the Europa-Park opened in 1979.

As part of the overall planning, two more lanes will be closed permanently: the “Flight of Icarus” and the “Traumzeit Dome”. On January 9th, with the end of the winter season, the attractions close.

The announcement triggered a great response on social media: the post already has over 400 comments on Facebook. Many write that they will miss the water slide. One woman even reports that she received a marriage proposal there. There is understanding for the change, but many consider the closure due to racist representations to be exaggerated.

The Bernese racism and minority rights expert Doris Angst welcomes the closure of the railway: “What was in line with the zeitgeist at the end of the 1970s is no longer appropriate today.” In the last twenty years a lot has happened in coming to terms with colonialism and slavery.

“Today we know about the harmful effects of racist role models and have a different attitude towards the protection of wild animals,” explains Angst. With the reorientation towards white water rafting in Europe, the amusement park is also overcoming the earlier European view of other cultures. “And that’s good!”

Céleste Ugochukwu, President of the African Diaspora Council of Switzerland, also welcomes the closure of the railway. But he would have been happy about a new track in the Africa themed area: “I would have liked an attraction about African heroes and the different cultures. That way you could better inform people about Africa. “

According to marketing specialist Johanna Gollnhofer from the University of St. Gallen, the fact that the amusement park closes the “jungle raft trip” makes sense: “Europa-Park stands for fun and family-friendliness, so a presentation like this no longer fits.”

The railway is a holdover from another time. With the dismantling of the attraction, the amusement park is adapting to the changing times and responding to today’s consumer demands.

Europa-Park will probably not suffer any image damage from the “jungle raft trip”, says marketing expert Adrienne Suvada from the ZHAW. Because the founding Mack family is known for their social commitment and their Christian values.

“People also know that the railway was old and that everything in an amusement park is exaggerated,” says Suvada. It also makes sense that the railway is now replaced by another topic. Because a modern version of the “jungle raft trip” is difficult. “It’s easy to get offended by the topic.”