The British owned Merlin Entertainment Group's decision to invest $40 million into revitalising some of Sydney’s major tourist draw cards is welcomed by the Tourism Industry Council NSW.
Merlin Entertainment Group runs 75 tourist attractions across 17 countries, including Sydney Aquarium, Sydney Wildlife World, Oceanworld Manly and Sydney Tower and Skywalk and have planned a multi-million dollar redevelopment and rebranding of Sydney’s tallest building – to be known as the Sydney Tower Eye from next month. Merlin purchased the four Sydney properties from Village Roadshow in December last year.
“This new investment for tourism in Sydney, including a new $2 million 4D Cinema and the May 2012 opening of a new attraction – Madame Tussaud’s celebrity wax museum at Darling Harbour – is a positive step for the beleaguered local tourism sector”, said Tourism Industry Council NSW Executive Officer, Andrew Jefferies.
“At a time when many Australians have looked to take advantage of the value of the dollar overseas, every investment in our local market should be acknowledged and celebrated as a step to encourage more international, interstate and local visitors to our City”.
Mr Jefferies said “the last major investment into an attraction in Sydney was as far back as August 2006”.
“Whilst Sydney continues to attract the majority of international inbound tourists to its doorstep, it is imperative that local infrastructure is renewed and updated to reflect the more challenging and diversified inbound tourist market”.
Sydney will join London, New York, Amsterdam, Las Vegas, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Bangkok, Washington DC, Berlin, Los Angeles, Vienna and Blackpool on the list of Madame Tussaud's celebrity wax museums.
