Basel Zoo opened its doors to more than one million visitors in 2019. That is 8.5% more than in the previous year. The reasons for the increase were the re-opening of the penguin enclosure and the mild winter and summer. There was also an increase in the number of people opting to pay the voluntary conservation contribution added to ticket prices.

In 2019, Basel Zoo recorded an 8.5% increase in visitors in comparison to the previous year: last year saw 1,007,150 visitors come to the zoo. This figure does not include children under the age of six who came with season ticket holders, but this demographic will also be recorded from 2020.

There was a slight reduction in the number of season tickets sold last year, with only 32,380 season tickets sold compared to 33,011 the previous year. The reasons for this were the change to having season tickets valid for twelve months and available to purchase all year round and the introduction of new vouchers at the end of 2019. These new vouchers have replaced the previous vouchers that could be used to purchase a season ticket, and will only be counted as season tickets once they have been redeemed.

Penguin walks and good weather

The return of the penguins, and therefore the penguin walks, as well as the ideal weather conditions for a trip to the zoo are to thank for the extra 78,911 visitors the zoo recorded in 2019 (compared to 2018).

It is normal for zoos to experience fluctuations in visitor numbers due to the weather. A mild winter and a milder summer than in 2018 meant that Basel Zoo had more visitors in 2019. Even when it is wet or cold out, the animal houses mean that a trip to the zoo is still an enjoyable experience. In the future, the new aviary will help to encourage visitors to come to the zoo even in poorer weather. The aviary is currently being renovated and given an extension, and is due to open to the public in the first half of 2022.

A record year for conservation contributions

Basel Zoo set a new record in 2019 with its initiative aiming to help conservation projects. Thanks to the voluntary conservation contribution (CHF 1.00 per ticket) introduced in 2016, CHF 289,441 was collected for conservation projects in 2019. A particularly pleasing fact is that now over 90% of visitors have chosen to pay the conservation contribution with their entry ticket since the initiative was introduced. In fact, since the conservation contribution was introduced in 2016, CHF 832,041 has been raised towards helping conservation projects. This helps Basel Zoo contribute to preserving the natural habitats of the animals and plants that call the zoo home. For example, Basel Zoo has been supporting the Anti-Poaching project from the Big Life Foundation (BLF) in Kenya with the sum of CHF 50,000 per year since 2016. The aim of the project is to protect elephants in the Amboseli/Tsavo ecosystem from poaching and to defuse conflict between the Maasai and the wildlife.

Lower figures to be expected in 2020

Basel Zoo had a fantastic start to the year. The mild winter days attracted an extraordinarily high number of visitors to the zoo. However, it is clear that Basel Zoo will have to expect overall visitor figures to be lower in 2020 because of the zoo's temporary closure due to the coronavirus situation. There will be no takings from entry tickets, the restaurants or the shop during this time. However, Basel Zoo's financial position is strong enough to cover its financial obligations for several months.