AMAJOR attraction opening in Edinburgh this month is set to give a significant boost to the city’s tourism industry and revamp an area of the city often overlooked by visitors.
The £34m exhibition, called Dynamic Earth, takes visitors through the various stages of the earth’s development using the latest technology and special effects.
It is expected to attract 500,000 visitors in its first year and is also tipped to become a major conference and events venue for the city.
Dynamic Earth is located next to the Holyrood Palace at the bottom end of the city’s famous Royal Mile.
Built around a similar design to London’s Millennium Dome, it has been constructed on the 10-acre site of a former Scottish and Newcastle brewery.
The site will also house the £50m Scottish Parliament offices due to open in October 2001. When the decision was made to house the new Parliament on the Holyrood site, demand for conferences and events at Dynamic Earth increased six-fold.
Holyrood project manager PeteSelman said:”Around 1.3m people visit Edinburgh Castle each year, but hardly anyone goes down the hill to the bottom of the Royal Mile.
“Dynamic Earth will take people to this part of the city and will make it a fantastic counter attraction to the castle.”
The attraction is being funded by local business association Lothian and Edinburgh Enterprise, the Millennium Commission, the city council and money from private sector development on the same site.
It will initially cost only £5.95 to enter but the price is expected to go up, depending on the level of interest.
Scottish hotel group Macdonald Hotels is due to open a 157-room property on the Holyrood site later this year.
Costing £11.5m, the hotel will offer conference and leisure facilities.
Long-stay accommodation company Aparthotel is also opening a 41-room property nearby.
Elsewhere in the city, plans have been unveiled to transform Edinburgh’swaterfront area into a major touristdevelopment.
Proposals include hotels, shops, restaurants and bars, and a cruise liner terminal.
According to Edinburgh city council, the £100m Ocean Terminal development will attract 5m tourists and visitors each year.
“It will be one of the largest waterfront developments in Europe, comparable to internationally-renowned locations such as Barcelona,” said council leader Donald Anderson.
The site is already home to the Royal Yacht Britannia Visitors Centre, which is on track to attract 300,000 visitors in its first year of operation.