en.Wedoany.com Reported - Universal Studios has unveiled the name and logo of its theme park in Bedfordshire, UK, confirming a total investment of £7.3 billion for the project. The park will be named "Universal United Kingdom Resort," with preliminary works already underway on the site and construction set to begin soon.
As Universal's first theme park and resort in Europe, the project is expected to generate nearly £50 billion in economic benefits for the UK economy by 2055. The park is anticipated to attract millions of visitors annually, including over one million international tourists, potentially becoming one of the UK's most popular tourist attractions. Comcast NBCUniversal has committed to investing more than £5 billion over the approximately five-year construction period, with an additional £1 billion in capital investment during the first decade of operations.
The UK Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) has described this as "one of the largest investments in UK tourism ever." The construction phase is expected to create nearly 20,000 jobs, with an additional 8,000 jobs to be added after the resort opens in 2031. The government will support the project with £1.3 billion in investment for regional and local community infrastructure, specifically including: a £400 million grant through the Exceptional Regional Growth Fund, a £438 million grant from DCMS, and a £474 million investment from the Department for Transport to upgrade the A421 road and the strategic transport network at Wixams railway station. These grants will be disbursed after Universal completes the community infrastructure and officially opens the resort.
UK Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves visited the site on Wednesday morning and met with the project's first hired workers. She was hosted by Mark Woodbury, Chairman and CEO of Universal Destinations & Experiences. Reeves stated: "Thank you for choosing the UK. I know you could have chosen sites elsewhere in Europe. We are incredibly excited that you are coming here, and we are determined to work with you to make it a huge success, which I am confident it will be." Woodbury said the resort would bring "immersive storytelling, thrilling rides, and unparalleled creativity and innovation" to the UK, and informed the Chancellor that the company was "ready to break ground and build the most spectacular theme park in all of Europe and the world." Molly Murphy, President of Universal Creative, expressed that the company was "thrilled" the Chancellor could visit, marking the start of preliminary works on the site.
Following this, the Chancellor and Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy hosted Brian Roberts, Chairman of Comcast Corporation, and Woodbury at 11 Downing Street to unveil the resort's name and logo. Roberts stated that the company looks forward to "creating a spectacular destination that supports the UK's creative industries and brings joy to generations to come." Nandy remarked: "This unparalleled investment is a massive vote of confidence in the UK and injects a rocket booster into our entertainment industry." DCMS noted that Universal's choice of Bedford for its first European park "is a testament to the strengths of UK visitor services and creative industries" and has "committed to providing world-class training opportunities for the next generation of employees, including through a range of apprenticeships and internship programs."
The project has already employed over 100 people in the UK, and Universal has received expressions of interest from approximately 33,000 individuals, with an estimated 80% of employees expected to come from Bedfordshire and surrounding areas. Dame Caroline Dinenage, Chair of the Culture, Media and Sport Committee (CMS Committee), stated that this investment "promises a welcome boost to our tourism industry at a time when there are concerns that the policy environment is making the UK less attractive to overseas visitors."
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