Blackpool Council has organised Merlin Entertainments, global visitor attractions operator, to administer the operations and redevelopment of the Blackpool Tower complex and Louis Tussauds Waxworks once it actually takes over the organisations in autumn 2010. In an ambitious move, the Council has completed the purchase of the Blackpool Tower, Winter Gardens, the Golden Mile Centre and Louis Tussauds buildings. The purchases have been made achievable following successful bids for European and Government funding and £10m from the Council's own budget. As part of the deal, the Winter Gardens will be operated alongside Blackpool's three landmark Piers by Crown Leisure.
This is a fantastic deal for Blackpool securing long-term investment in the resort and is the culmination of months of negotiations. The Council is ambitious for Blackpool and Merlin is totally the correct choice. Merlin is a international company and the biggest entertainment name in the UK and Europe, and they will bring some of the worlds most iconic attractions to Blackpool. Merlin's existing UK portfolio includes the Alton Towers Resort, Thorpe Park, Warwick Castle, the Dungeons, Madame Tussauds, the London Eye and Legoland. The company also operates the world's leading aquarium brand – SEA LIFE, including the successful attraction on Blackpool Promenade.
The new plans form part of the Council's vision to create an interesting, world class leisure resort for the future and Merlin's expertise and brands are viewed as key to attaining this. As part of the deal, Merlin will not merely bring a thrilling new Dungeon attraction to the Blackpool Tower; but also utilize its knowledge in operating the internationally famous London Eye to expand the current observation stand at the pinnacle of the Tower into an interesting new 'Eye' branded experience, together with a 4D cinema preview show. Additionally, the current Louis Tussauds wax attraction will be transformed into a second UK Madame Tussauds, with everything the interactivity and high quality figures connected with this exclusive brand. As it is a listed building, the current restoration programme for Blackpool Tower itself will continue; and the famed Ballroom and Circus will be retained and are predicted to be in huge demand in the future to host a programme of interesting new events.
These investment plans may possibly attract an additional 800,000 tourists each year creating up to fifty five million pounds more spend right across the resort. Enhancements to the meeting facilities at the Winter Gardens, residence to the Opera House, are additionally intended which endeavour to achieve a mid-tier conferencing facility designed to attract extra business tourism trips and events to the town pulling in an estimated 250,000 visitors. This is a really innovative and ground breaking initiative by Blackpool Council, and a measure of just how seriously they take the future rejuvenation of the resort. From 2011, no other UK centre other than London will be able to offer tourists such a unique and broad mixture of global attraction brands. This will help with what is already one of the best loved and iconic seaside destinations in Europe into the premier league.
Merlin already have a long term association with the town through SEA LIFE, and the Tower complex offers a really exciting and distinctive location for quite a few of their globally recognized attraction brands. Given their experience to date, and the Council's exciting regeneration strategy, they consider that this collaboration will present significant commercial reward for both Merlin and Blackpool; but most importantly true benefits for future site visitors to the resort. This is a bold but required initiative that offers the greatest potential platform for strengthening the destination role of the town. This will no doubt result in a significant increase in employment and visitor numbers and will no doubt fuse together all the other valuable initiatives and programmes which are intended to make Blackpool an alluring place to reside, visit and invest.
Hotel owners and businesses in Blackpool have hailed the news saying it will no doubt position Blackpool back in the tourism spotlight for people from all over Britain. This is a tremendous chance for Blackpool to really reap the benefits from getting such major brand names working in the area. The deal will no doubt see Merlin market the Blackpool attractions across the UK and in Europe helping to elevate Blackpool's profile as a visitor destination.
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