Closure of Mystery Park is no enigma

Bernese Oberland resort of Interlaken, which closed on Sunday, is no enigma but the result of bad decisions, experts say.

They argue that the main reasons for the closure are the static nature of the exhibition, the slow involvement of local tourism and the stock exchange decline between 2001 and 2003.

"Mystery Park needs extraterrestrial saviour" and "Career dreamer Erich von D?niken pulls back" were just two of the sarcastic headlines journalists made in a long series of negative reports.

The criticism stepped up in 2005 and was particularly heavy in the spring of 2006 when the park had to ask for a delay in bankruptcy proceedings and protection from its creditors.

It all began in 1997 with ambitious plans. Best-selling Swiss author Erich von D?niken announced he wanted to open a theme park devoted to unsolved (extra-)terrestrial mysteries on the site of the former local military airport. -? more