20 Feb 2015
Continuum thought to be looking at Emmerdale tour following Coronation Street success
BY Tom Anstey
Following Continuum Leading Attraction’s success with its Coronation Street tour in the UK, the entertainment company is thought to be looking at running a similar attraction with plans for a tour of the popular ITV soap Emmerdale.
Since its opening in April 2014, more than 300,000 people have visited ‘Coronation Street The Tour’, drawing 10,000 people a week. The tour proved so popular that Continuum agreed a deal with ITV to extend its life to 2016, at which point the tour will make way for the development of a new cultural quarter, hotel and residential project, to be developed by Allied London.
Now the group is looking to its next project, with plans to open up the set of Emmerdale – one of the UK’s most popular soaps for more than 40 years.
Planning documents from Savilles highlight the growth of the Emmerdale fan base, which has grown exponentially since its first appearance in 1972. According to the plans, visitors will be able to visit the set and see how the cast and crew use the site for the filming of the show.
According to the planning documents, the Emmerdale tour will commence at the Harewood House car park and will only operate outside of filming hours. Each tour is to cater for up to 30 visitors, with a tour lasting around two hours.
The Emmerdale tour is expected to prove as popular as the Coronation Street version, which according to recent analysis, has generated more than £25m (US$38.4m, €33.8m) for the Greater Manchester economy.
With a maximum capacity for 106,000 visits annually, the Emmerdale tour is expected to draw around 75,000 people every year. While Continuum didn’t confirm the plans, a spokesperson told AM2: “We have a good relationship with Coronation Street and ITV and would be very excited to potentially be involved with Emmerdale.”
While the group nor ITV confirmed plans, it is expected the announcement will officially be made in March.
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