Whether it’s seeking thrills on a rollercoaster or taking a more leisurely trip down the lazy river, theme parks are a popular leisure destination for children and adults alike. In the United Kingdom, the
was estimated at approximately 909.4 million British pounds in 2022. The sector reported a recovery from the previous year when it was significantly impacted by the
. The health crisis led to a temporary decline in activity and even the closure of amusement parks for several weeks or months, reducing both annual attendance figures and the number of
. Since 2022, however, the number of businesses in the industry has been steadily increasing and was expected to reach a new all-time-high in 2023.
What are the most popular parks and attractions in the UK?
Some of the most popular theme parks in the UK include Legoland Windsor, Blackpool Pleasure Beach, and Thorpe Park. Located in Berkshire, Legoland Windsor is a theme park that focuses on the Lego brand and offers Lego-themed rides as well as building workshops that are particularly popular among younger visitors. It is operated by Merlin Entertainments and, as of April 2023, had an
estimated value of 671 million U.S. dollars. Meanwhile, Blackpool Pleasure Beach and Thorpe Park have attractions that are geared more toward adults. As of February 2023, the
longest roller coaster in the UK was “Big One” located at Blackpool Pleasure Beach, and the
fastest roller coaster in the UK was “Stealth” located at Thorpe Park.
Leading UK theme park company: Merlin Entertainments
The British entertainment company Merlin Entertainments is one of the largest attraction operators in the world. Looking at the
number of Merlin Entertainments’ attractions worldwide gives an insight into the diversity of the firm’s portfolio: 47 Sealife centers, 28 Legoland Discovery Centers, and 23 Madame Tussauds operated globally under the company’s name in 2022. That year, the most successful
Merlin Entertainment segments in terms of revenue were Midway Attractions (which encompasses brands such as Sea Life, The Dungeons, and Madame Tussauds) and Legoland Parks. The combined revenue of these branches amounted to over 1.5 billion British pounds in revenue in 2022, and the overall
revenue of Merlin Entertainments worldwide amounted to 1.96 billion British pounds.
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