Madame Tussauds owner warns terror attacks have put off visitors

Merlin Entertainments, the company behind the London Eye, Madame Tussauds and Legoland, says visitors are staying away from its attractions as a result of the London and Manchester terror attacks.

According to bosses at the firm, "demand for day trips fell among domestic tourists after the Westminster attack on 22 March, and deteriorated further after the subsequent attacks in Manchester and at London Bridge", reports The Guardian.

In the immediate aftermath of the London Bridge attack on 2 June, shares in Merlin began a sustained fall from an all-time high of £5.37 to £4.90 a share today.

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At the time, UK tourism sector executives warned of a potential drop in visits and takings of as much as 30 per cent, reflecting the scale of decline seen in Paris after the attacks of November 2015, says The Times.

One said: "London carried on doing well after Westminster, as overseas visitors had already booked and the weak pound acted as a draw, but we face a dip… [for] four to five months.

"Paris tourism was down 30 per cent and I’m expecting something similar in London."

Visitor numbers at Merlin's venues in the capital were already lower, said the company, although trading was so far in line with expectations at parks such as Legoland and Alton Towers.

Nick Varney, chief executive, added: "What is clear, however, is that London has bounced back before and will do again."