A new Universal theme park in the UK is projected to inject more than £35 billion to the economy and create thousands of jobs.
The US entertainments giant revealed that the proposed site in Bedford would generate 20,000 jobs during the construction period.
The project would be among the highest-attended attractions in the UK, attracting millions of incremental international visitors.
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An economic impact analysis commissioned by Universal Destinations & Experiences found that the net economic contribution of the project for the UK is forecast to be £35.1 billion over the construction period and first 20 years of operation.
It is also estimated to generate up to £14.1 billion in net additional tax returns for HM Treasury over the same period.
The project to create “a world-class theme park and resort” would generate 20,000 jobs while it is being built, with 5,000 workers on-site during the peak construction period.
The theme park is expected to initially create 8,000 new jobs once operational, rising over time, “consisting of a range of high-quality, multi-disciplinary team member roles with a commitment to pay the living wage”.
Universal added: “Evidence from our other theme parks suggests that for every job supported within our parks, at least 1.5 further jobs may be supported, in our supply chain and across all areas of the economy, resulting in a net additional 20,000 jobs supported by the project, as well as supporting high-quality apprenticeships.”
The analysis has been carried out as part of wider due diligence by Universal.
The company added that it “looks forward to continuing its engagement with local and national stakeholders about realising the project’s potential”.
Universal Destinations & Experiences new ventures president Page Thompson said: “A world-class theme park and resort from Universal has the potential to generate billions in economic benefit for the UK, by creating thousands of high-quality jobs and attracting millions of new visitors to the country.”