AusLeisure

The Merlin Entertainment Group has completed the acquisition of Sydney Attractions Group and Kelly Tarlton's Underwater World from Village Roadshow.

The $115 million deal, announced in December 2010, includes Sydney's top three tourist attractions - Sydney Aquarium, Sydney Wildlife World and the Sydney Tower Observatory and Skywalk, as well as Manly Oceanworld in Sydney, the Hamilton Island Wildlife Park in Queensland and Kelly Tarlton's Antarctic Encounter and Underwater World in Auckland, New Zealand.

Merlin will undertake a multi-millon dollar investment programme for the six attractions and the company has appointed Edward Fuller as its Divisional Director to manage the new Australia/New Zealand 'midway' division.

Fuller said the newly acquired Australasian attractions will complement Merlin's business, stating "these are exciting attractions with enormous potential. They are well established and of a very high quality, and I believe will benefit greatly by being part of the Merlin 'family'.

The investment is believed to include the development of a Madame Tussauds wax museum in Sydney, expected to open next year.

Merlin has opened Madame Tussauds attractions in Hong Kong and Bangkok, and will be opening another of its branded attractions, Legoland, in Malaysia in 2012.

The Merlin Entertainment Group's arrival in the Australasian market was outlined in the January/February 2011 issue of Australasian Leisure Management.

20th January 2011 - MERLIN ENTERTAINMENTS GROUP ACQUIRES SYDNEY ATTRACTIONS GROUP FROM VILLAGE ROADSHOW 

1st September 2010 - SYDNEY AQUARIUM TO PRESENT 200 MILLION YEARS OF EVOLUTION 

9th May 2008 - VILLAGE BUYS KELLY TARLTON’S

20th February 2008 - VILLAGE TO ACQUIRE SYDNEY ATTRACTIONS GROUP

12th February 2008 - DOWNHILL FOR MFS ASSETS

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