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Universal has suggested that its planned theme parks and resorts in the UK could bring economic benefits of around $53 billion (£50 billion) to the host country.
Universal Destinations & Experiences (UDX), the theme park division of Comcast subsidiary NBCUniversal, announced in December that it had acquired 476 acres of land outside the town of Bedford, about 60 miles northwest of London, for the site of its new UK facility.
The company is currently conducting feasibility and due diligence studies and expects to take a final decision on the project by the end of this year.
An Economic Impact Analysis (EIA) report commissioned by UDX as part of this process, and published today, predicts that the net economic contribution over the construction period and 20 years after operation will be $37.4 billion (£35.1 billion).
The report also estimates that the site could generate up to $15 billion (£14.1 billion) in extra tax revenue for the UK over the same period.
The company cited other potential benefits as the creation of thousands of jobs, including 20,000 during construction and 8,000 more once the facility is operational.
The proposed UK facility would be the first in Europe for UDX, which currently operates five branded theme parks and resorts including Universal Orlando Resort, Universal Studios Hollywood, Universal Studios Japan, Universal Beijing Resort and Universal Studios Singapore.
An EIA report on Wednesday suggested the park would become one of Britain’s most visited attractions and draw millions of international tourists.
“Universal’s world-class theme parks and resorts have the potential to generate billions of dollars in economic benefits for the UK by creating thousands of high-quality jobs and attracting millions of new tourists to the UK,” Paige Thompson, president of New Ventures at Universal Destinations & Experiences, said in response to the EIA report.