LONDON: UK-headquartered Merlin Entertainments said on Tuesday it was closing three attractions in Turkiye including a local branch of the famous Madame Tussauds wax museum.

The firm, which operates many theme parks worldwide, is also closing its Legoland Discovery Centre in the country and a Sea Life aquarium, a spokesperson for the group said.

The three sites, all located in Istanbul, would permanently shut their doors on Tuesday, the company said, citing poor commercial performance. The marine animals housed at the aquarium would be transferred to other attractions, it added.

Turkiye has seen continuous double-digit inflation since the end of 2019, hitting family budgets for leisure activities. Merlin saw its results slip into the red in 2023, posting an annual net loss of 217 million pounds (272 million dollars) compared to a profit of 89 million pounds a year earlier. The group was bought in 2019 by a consortium including Denmark’s billionaire Kristiansen family, which controls the Lego group.

The company, whose attractions boast more than 60 million visitors each year in 23 countries, manages the London Eye Ferris wheel in the British capital, the Madame Tussauds wax museums and the Legoland parks as well as several parks based around the children’s cartoon character Peppa Pig.

Published in Dawn, January 1st, 2025