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Merlin Entertainments Group, the largest attractions operator in Europe and the second in the world, has invested £3.5 million (about €4.3 million) to add a new landmark attraction in Weymouth, a seaside town in Dorset situated on the south coast of England.
The Weymouth SEA LIFE Tower opened for business on Friday June 22nd after less than nine months of construction, from the start of foundation works in October 2011 to the completion of the ground level reception building just a few days before.
This new 53 meters hight (172 fett) observation tower has been designed by German company HUSS Park Attractions. Each of the five 11-ton steel sections of the central column were built in Hungary while the clear-fronted passenger gondola which rotates gently around that column as it climbs to its highest point was built in France. The base section sits on a concrete base buried 17 metres (about 55.8 feet) beneath the Festival Pier.
As many as 69 people at a time can be carried aloft in the gondola for the 15 minutes ride, where on a clear day they may be able to see as far as the famous Durdle Door and Lulworth Cove. The Tower will also provide the best views in town of the Olympic sailing events later in the summer, and is expected to be a huge draw for the expected crowds when those events get underway.
General Manager Craig Dunkerley explained : “The decision to develop the Weymouth SEA LIFE Tower was in part inspired by the spectacular success of the London Eye and subsequent expansion of the Eye brand to also encompass the famous Blackpool and Sydney Towers. We realised there was also an opportunity to develop a network of smaller-scale observation attractions in regional locations where we already operate other successful attractions, which is also in line with our policy of clustering attractions to benefit from cross-marketing opportunities and shared management".
As the GM of the nearby Weymouth Sea Life Park, he hopes that resort visitors will be quick to take advantage of special discount deals to visit both attractions during their stay : “There’s a lovely synergy between the two attractions, with quite a lot of displays at the Sea Life Park devoted to creatures that live along the coastline or under the seas which Tower visitors will get such great views of. We’re convinced that holidaymakers and day-trippers will want to enjoy both experiences, and we’ll certainly be encouraging them to do that.”
HUSS’ observation towers are available in a range of sizes up to 150 meters (about 492 feet). The Weymouth model joins almost 20 other completed projects around the world including the famous Tiger Tower in Singapore. Mirko J. Schulze, CEO of Huss Park Attractions GmbH, said: “It is the first time we have worked with Merlin Entertainments and the whole team is delighted to be part of this important and prestigious project. Everyone at HUSS worked very hard to ensure everything was done in accordance with the client’s wishes and to ensure their full satisfaction. We are happy to have established this challenging starting point with Merlin.”
“Having decided on the location, we looked at the supplier options and because of its experience in the field and excellent reputation within the industry, Huss was the natural choice” concluded Craig Dunkerley. “They have done everything they promised and as we required.”
Merlin operates more than 90 attractions all around the world including a number of international brands such as SEA LIFE, Madame Tussauds, the Dungeons, LEGOLAND and the Eye. In addition, it also operates a number of leading national brands such as Thorpe Park and Alton Towers in the UK, Gardaland in Italy and Heide Park in Germany. The company is a privately owned company whose primary shareholders are the Blackstone Group, KIRKBI A/S, CVC Capital Partners, and members of the management team.
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NewsParcs will do a full coverage of the IAAPA Attractions Expo 2013 in Orlando to have a look at the latest trends and developments of the global theme park industry.
