09 Feb 2017
Ardent revenue plummets in wake of DreamWorld tragedy
BY Tom Anstey
Ardent Leisure has seen revenue fall by more than half following a fatal accident at its Dreamworld theme park on Australia’s Gold Coast last year.
Four people died in October when two rafts on the park’s Thunder River rapids ride collided. The park reopened on 10 December.
For the month of January, Ardent says its theme park division recorded revenues of AU$6.97m (US$5.33m, €4.98m, £4.26m), a decline of 50.4 per cent on previous figures, which a year earlier was AU$14.05m (€10m, £8.59m).
“This represents a steady increase in visitation against December 2016 which recorded a reduction of 63.0 per cent in revenues,” said a company statement.
“This consistent increase in visitation was largely due to the reopening of eight of the Big 9 Thrill Rides.”
December’s records were even harsher after the park’s reopening, with revenue from 10 to 31 December down 63 per cent to AU$3.66m (€2.62m, £2.23m).
The accident has caused a ripple effect for Australia’s theme parks, with Warner Bros Movie World, Sea World and Wet ‘n’ Wild all reporting significant drops in attendance – roughly 12 per cent across all the parks in the Queensland region.
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