Now Official: Merlin New Heavyweight on the Global Leisure Market

Following the authorisation by the EU competition authorities, the fusion announced in March between Merlin Entertainments Group and The Tussauds Group was completed on the 22nd of May 2007. This consolidation formed the second largest operator of visitor attractions in the world (next to Disney). The company led by Nick Varney will be operating with  a new division structure in the future: resort theme parks comprise Gardaland, Alton Towers, Thorpe Park, Heide Park and Chessington World of Adventures; midway attractions are Madame Tussauds, SEA, London Eye, Dungeons, Warwick Castle, LEGOLAND Discovery Centre, Earth Explorer and the LEGOLAND parks. These divisions will be supported by central development teams that have the task of maximising the potential of existing locations and scouting out new locations and business opportunities. Peter Phillipson will be the group’s Chairman without any executive board function, and Andrew Carr will remain in his current position as CFO. The purpose of the structure is to accelerate the corporation’s dynamic growth plans, especially in North America. In 2007/08 alone, this consists in: opening a new SEA attraction in Hanover (February 2007); opening the first new and interactive city centre hall attraction in Berlin – the LEGOLAND Discovery Centre (April 2007); the first “LEGOLAND Atlantis by SEA” attraction, which opened in March 2007 at Denmark’s LEGOLAND; the opening of new hotels for recreational and business use at the Chessington World of Adventures in Great Britain in June 2007, as well as at the Heide Park in the same month; opening of  Madame Tussauds in Washington D.C. in October 2007 and in Hollywood in the autumn of 2008; four new SEA and LEGOLAND Discovery Centre projects are planned for 2008; investments in existing rides are to be made at Gardaland in 2008. (eap)