Business liability
Covers injuries to guests while climbing, riding and playing, and for showmen at least at the level the showmen's liability regulation requires.
Insurance broker / Business types / Sport, culture and leisure
Insurance for leisure parks, climbing gyms and travelling showmen in Germany
Wherever people choose to go up high, loop the loop or climb a wall, injury to guests is the central risk. A single fall from the rope can change a life and lead to a claim running into millions. On top of that come expensive rides and a short season in which every lost day counts.
The question almost everyone asks first
Does the disclaimer on the entry ticket protect me?
Only to a very limited extent. For injuries caused by a breach of your duty of care, such as a hold that came loose, a worn rope or a missing safety briefing, you cannot validly exclude liability in your terms and conditions. That is why public liability insurance is the core of your protection, not the small print at the entrance.
What goes wrong in this trade
- 01
Falls from height
A carabiner clipped in wrongly, a climber lowered too early, a bad landing when bouldering: spinal and knee injuries are among the most expensive liability claims there are.
- 02
Machinery under load
Rides, cable cars and high ropes courses run under heavy load every day. A single material failure can hurt many guests at once.
- 03
Weather and season
Storms, hail or heavy rain hit outdoor installations directly. If the park has to close in high summer, a large share of the year's turnover is gone.
- 04
Other people's property
Showmen stand on council fairgrounds, and climbing gyms are often in rented industrial halls. Damage to the rented property or the site is on your bill.
- 05
Crowds in tight spaces
A crush at the entrance, slippery paths, a parasol that blows over: with high visitor numbers even small accidents become frequent.
- 06
Staff working at height
Route setters, instructors and technicians work on ladders, lifting platforms and ropes themselves. Accidents at work with long absences are not unusual here.
Compared with other trades, 1 low to 5 high.
The insurance you need
Essential
Strongly advised
Machinery breakdown
Pays for repairing or rebuilding rides, cable cars, machines and climbing walls after operating errors, short circuits or material failure.
Business interruption
Pays lost gross profit, wages and lease payments if a ride is out of action during the season after a loss.
Business contents
Insures holds, mats, hire equipment, the till and catering against fire, storm, water and burglary.
Depends on the business
Commercial buildings
For halls, ticket booths and canopies you own.
Fleet insurance
For showmen's tractor units, equipment trailers and living wagons that are constantly on the road.
Cyber insurance
For online ticketing, the till system and member data, which can be down for days after an attack.
What it costs: example prices
Premiums depend heavily on turnover, visitor numbers and the type of attraction. A bouldering gym is rated differently from a high ropes course or a carousel. Differences of several hundred per cent between quotes are not unusual in this sector.
| Insurance | Example | Typical range |
|---|---|---|
| Business liability | Climbing or bouldering gym with turnover up to about 360,000 euros, 5 million euros cover | about 550 to 1,200 euros a year |
| Business liability | Showman with one children's carousel, cover above the regulation's minimum | about 500 to 1,500 euros a year |
| Business interruption | Climbing gym with 300,000 euros of contents and 300,000 euros business interruption, 24 month indemnity period | from about 1,000 euros a year |
| Machinery breakdown | Ride or cable car with a replacement value of 250,000 euros | about 1,500 to 4,000 euros a year |
| Business liability | Leisure park or high ropes course with over 100,000 visitors a year | usually from about 3,000 euros a year, on request only |
For comparison: Public liability for a small bouldering gym costs about as much a year as two or three annual passes for your regulars.
Guide figures excluding insurance tax, as of September 2026. The climbing gym figures come from published sector schemes; the others are cautious guide figures from our own quoting experience. Large parks are always rated individually.
Sources of the price examples
Our suggestions: three packages
01
Travelling
For: showman with one ride or stall at fairs
- Business liability
- Fleet insurance
Together about 1,500 to 4,000 euros a year
Request this package02
Hall
For: climbing, bouldering or trampoline hall in rented premises
- Business liability
- Business contents
- Business interruption
Together about 2,000 to 4,500 euros a year
Request this package03
Park
For: leisure park, high ropes course or adventure site with its own rides
- Business liability
- Machinery breakdown
- Business interruption
- Business contents
- Commercial buildings
- Cyber insurance
Together from about 8,000 euros a year, rated individually
Request this packageThe worst day at the leisure park
Six things that really happen at parks, halls and fairgrounds, all on a single day in the school holidays. Tap through the day and see who pays.
Damage so far€172,500
-
During top rope climbing a member of staff lowers a guest too fast. A broken heel bone, long rehabilitation and loss of earnings.
-
The gearbox of the chair swing ride fails. Repairs and special parts from abroad.
-
The ride stands still for twelve days, right in the middle of the summer holidays.
-
A child falls on a crash mat that has slipped out of place and breaks a wrist.
-
A thunderstorm tears the roof off the snack stand and damages the till and the refrigeration.
-
The ticketing system is encrypted by hackers; the next morning neither online tickets nor annual passes work.
Which package would you have had?
Illustrative amounts before any excess. Whether and how much is paid depends on the policy terms.
Practical tips from your broker
- Choose at least 5 million euros of cover for bodily injury; for rides and high ropes courses rather 10 million.
- Make sure courses, children's parties, hire equipment and guests belaying themselves are expressly named in the policy.
- Showmen should always carry proof of insurance: the authorities may ask to see it on the fairground.
- Have damage to the rented hall and fairground included; the limits for this in standard policies are often low.
- Set the indemnity period for business interruption to 24 months if spare parts for your rides have long delivery times.
- Record daily visual checks and safety briefings: after a claim this is your most important evidence that you met your duty of care.
Why NAMMERT for your business
Injury claims are part of our daily work
In boat insurance we handle claims ourselves, including injuries on board. We know how assessors, lawyers and insurers negotiate after a serious accident.
We get several quotes
Quotes in this sector vary widely. As a broker we approach several insurers and compare the exclusions, not just the price.
One contact for business and family
Your park, your vehicles, the living wagon on the road and your private cover are all handled in one place.
Family business since 1989
Many showmen's businesses and parks are family firms. So are we, and we remain the same contacts for years.
Questions and answers
Frequently asked
Do showmen need compulsory insurance?
Yes. Anyone who runs rides, shooting galleries, animal shows or pony rides as a travelling business needs liability cover under the showmen's liability regulation of at least 1 million euros for bodily injury and 150,000 euros for property damage per claim. The higher injury sum applies to rides; for the others it is 500,000 euros.
Does a climbing gym have to be insured?
Not by law, but in practice yes: landlords, banks and partners want proof, and a single serious accident can quickly exceed all your equity.
Are guests at a climbing gym covered by accident insurance?
No. Guests climb at their own risk and have no statutory accident cover. They have claims against the gym if a mistake by the business caused the accident; then public liability pays.
What does insurance for a bouldering gym cost?
Public liability for smaller gyms is roughly between 550 and 1,200 euros a year. With contents and business interruption it is usually 2,000 to 4,500 euros.
Does insurance pay if we close because of bad weather?
Only if insured physical damage forces the closure, such as storm damage to the site. Closing just because of a weather warning, with no damage, is usually not insured.
Are route setters and instructors covered by the gym's insurance?
Employees are, through public liability and the Berufsgenossenschaft. Self-employed route setters and freelance instructors need their own professional liability cover.
NAMMERT insurance broker
Request quotes for Leisure park
The recommended covers are already ticked. Change what does not fit; we obtain quotes and come back with a comparison. You can write in English.
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We will be in touch within one working day. If it is urgent: +49 3375 29 12 77.
Related trades
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Isn't the cover through the state sports federation enough?
Official classification
This page covers the following classes of the German WZ 2025 (identical to NACE at four digits):
- 93.21 Vergnügungs- und Themenparks
- 93.29 Erbringung von sonstigen Dienstleistungen der Unterhaltung und der Erholung a. n. g.
Source: Federal Statistical Office of Germany (Destatis), WZ 2025. All business types
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