# 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.

Quelle/Source: https://www.nammert.com/en/business-insurance-leisure-park.php  
Updated: 2026-09-18

## 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.

## At a glance

- **Compulsory:** For travelling showmen with rides, shooting galleries or animal shows: liability cover under the Schaustellerhaftpflichtverordnung (showmen's liability regulation), at least 1 million euros for injury and 150,000 euros for property damage. No legal requirement for fixed parks and halls
- **Biggest risk:** Serious injuries to guests from falls, material failure or belaying mistakes
- **Basic cover from:** about 600 to 1,500 euros a year for public liability for a small climbing or bouldering gym
- **Statutory accident insurer:** usually the VBG, the Berufsgenossenschaft (statutory accident insurer) for these businesses; for showmen and mixed businesses it depends on classification, as stated in your membership notice
- **Often forgotten:** Business interruption: if the main attraction stands still in July, the whole season's turnover is missing
- **WZ 2025 / NACE:** 93.21 Vergnügungs- und Themenparks, 93.29 Erbringung von sonstigen Dienstleistungen der Unterhaltung und der Erholung a. n. g.

## What goes wrong in this trade

- **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.
- **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.
- **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.
- **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.
- **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.
- **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.

**Risk radar** (Compared with other trades, 1 low to 5 high.): Liability 5, Fire and water 4, Theft 2, Cyber 2, Downtime 4, Health 4

## The insurance you need

- **Business liability** (Essential): Covers injuries to guests while climbing, riding and playing, and for showmen at least at the level the showmen's liability regulation requires. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-business-liability.php
- **Machinery breakdown** (Strongly advised): Pays for repairing or rebuilding rides, cable cars, machines and climbing walls after operating errors, short circuits or material failure. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-machinery-breakdown.php
- **Business interruption** (Strongly advised): Pays lost gross profit, wages and lease payments if a ride is out of action during the season after a loss. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-business-interruption.php
- **Business contents** (Strongly advised): Insures holds, mats, hire equipment, the till and catering against fire, storm, water and burglary. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-business-contents.php
- **Commercial buildings** (Depends on the business): For halls, ticket booths and canopies you own. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-commercial-buildings.php
- **Fleet insurance** (Depends on the business): For showmen's tractor units, equipment trailers and living wagons that are constantly on the road. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-fleet-insurance.php
- **Cyber insurance** (Depends on the business): For online ticketing, the till system and member data, which can be down for days after an attack. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-cyber-insurance.php

## 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._

- [HHB Versicherungsmakler: sector scheme for climbing and bouldering gyms](https://www.hhb-vm.de/kletter-und-boulderhallen)
- [Showmen's liability regulation (SchauHV)](https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/schauhv/BJNR015980984.html)

## Our suggestions: three packages

- **Travelling** (showman with one ride or stall at fairs): Business liability, Fleet insurance. Together: about 1,500 to 4,000 euros a year
- **Hall** (climbing, bouldering or trampoline hall in rented premises): Business liability, Business contents, Business interruption. Together: about 2,000 to 4,500 euros a year
- **Park** (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

## The 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.

- 09:30: During top rope climbing a member of staff lowers a guest too fast. A broken heel bone, long rehabilitation and loss of earnings. (€65,000, Paid by: Business liability)
- 11:45: The gearbox of the chair swing ride fails. Repairs and special parts from abroad. (€32,000, Paid by: Machinery breakdown)
- 13:10: The ride stands still for twelve days, right in the middle of the summer holidays. (€48,000, Paid by: Business interruption)
- 15:20: A child falls on a crash mat that has slipped out of place and breaks a wrist. (€7,500, Paid by: Business liability)
- 18:00: A thunderstorm tears the roof off the snack stand and damages the till and the refrigeration. (€11,000, Paid by: Business contents)
- 21:40: The ticketing system is encrypted by hackers; the next morning neither online tickets nor annual passes work. (€9,000, Paid by: Cyber insurance)

**Damage so far:** €172,500

## 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.

## FAQ

### 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.

## Request quotes

We obtain quotes and come back with a comparison. Free of charge and without obligation: the insurer pays our commission. You can write in English. https://www.nammert.com/en/business-insurance-leisure-park.php#anfrage

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NAMMERT Assekuradeur GmbH, insurance broker licensed under section 34d(1) of the German Trade Regulation Act, broker register no. D-C08Q-TOSD4-37. For boat and yacht insurance we act as underwriting agency, not as broker.

NAMMERT Assekuradeur GmbH, Karl-Marx-Straße 4, 15711 Königs Wusterhausen, +49 3375 29 12 77, info@nammert.com. Wikidata: Q141141479.