Blackpool Zoo sold to Spanish leisure operator Parques Reunidos
04/04/2007
Blackpool Zoo has been sold to Parques Reunidos, the European leisure operator, for £10.4m.
The Spanish-based company have taken on the zoo as part of a package which includes the Aquarium of the Lakes on the shores of Lake Windermere and The Oceanarium in Bournemouth.
Grant Leisure, who took over the zoo in April 2003, was put up for sale by owners MICE group in January of this year, as part of a drive to focus on their core marketing services businesses. Proceeds from the sale are expected to be used to reduce the company’s debt.
The transfer of the lease for the 32-acre animal park from Grant Leisure was agreed by Blackpool council, without whose permission the transfer could not have gone ahead.
Parques Reunidos was founded in Madrid in 1967, and is now the third largest operator of leisure and theme parks in Europe. It boasts with 22 parks in Spain, Belgium, Norway, France, Italy and Argentina, along with eight zoos, three amusement parks, nine aquatic attractions and two cableways.
Strategic Director of Business Services for Blackpool council, Julian Kearsley, commented “We welcome the news that Grant Leisure is to be sold to Parques Reunidos. We have formally agreed to grant a lease to Parques Reunidos and we are delighted that a company with such an impressive track record will be operating in Blackpool.”
“The company has a track record of investing and developing its facilities which indicates that there are good prospect for the continuation of improvements to the zoo.”
