An estimated £20 million in extra revenue has been generated for the surrounding area in the five weeks Banksy’s anti-capitalist show Dismaland has been open.
More than 150,000 people have visited the subversive theme park in a derelict seafront lido, which had been shut since 2000 and reopened August 20.
The temporary art show in Weston-super-Mare, which shuts on Sunday, sold 4,000 tickets a day online, plus 500 more to people willing to queue for hours, often in pouring rain.
Dismaland describes itself as offering “entry-level anarchism”, and satirises the tourism and theme park industries.
Visit Somerset says the town’s tourism businesses have benefited by as much as £20 million – more than three times the level the trade body initially suggested.
The biggest boost has been to hotels and B&Bs, many of which would normally be half full in September.
The local hoteliers association estimates an additional 50,000 nights have been sold in the town’s hotels, with each guest spending an average of £150 a night, allowing for dinner and drinks – ultimately generating about £7.5 million, the BBC reported.