Permanent closure of SEA LIFE Berlin
- Tuesday 12. November 2024
- SEA LIFE BERLIN
MEDIA STATEMENT
Berlin, November 12, 2024 - Merlin Entertainments Group confirms today that it will close two of its attractions in Berlin: SEA LIFE Berlin and Little BIG City Berlin, at the end of 2024.
Marcel Kloos, Regional Director Germany & Austria at Merlin Entertainments Group, explains:
“Merlin regularly reviews the commercial performance of all its attractions to ensure that they are in line with the company's longer-term growth strategy. After careful consideration, it is with regret that we have taken the difficult decision to close Little BIG City Berlin and SEA LIFE Berlin as of December 13, 03:00 p.m. Madame Tussauds, the Berlin Dungeon and LEGOLAND® Discovery Centre will continue to offer memorable experiences to visitors from all over the world.
The main reason for our decision is that Little BIG City has not been sufficiently appealing to the desired target audience for some time now, and similarly with SEA LIFE after the loss of the Aqua Dom in 2022. We do not see any realistic potential to reconcile the operation of these two attractions with Merlin’s longer-term growth strategy.
The decision to close these two sites was not an easy one for Merlin. However, it is necessary for economic reasons, after we had previously examined other options very carefully but had to reject them.
Our priorities are now, on the one hand, to find suitable new homes for our animals with the help of our global SEA LIFE network. On the other hand, we are supporting affected employees in their search for new roles, including opportunities that are available at other Merlin attractions. “
Background
- The closure of these attractions is not an easy decision – and a careful and thorough evaluation of alternative options has been undertaken. Unfortunately, we have not been able to and do not see any realistic prospect of finding a viable solution that aligns with Merlin's strategic and commercial objectives.
- The decision was only made after consultation with the Economic Committee and with the involvement of the Works Council of Madame Tussauds Deutschland GmbH.
- The site closures affect 18 employees at Little BIG City, 43 employees at SEA LIFE Berlin and 3 central positions in Berlin.
- We will speak to the affected employees personally to discuss the possibility of transferring them to another Merlin location in Germany (including Berlin) or to another location in the company's global network and to implement the closure in as socially responsible a manner as possible.
- Preparations are also being made to ensure that SEA LIFE's animals can continue to be cared for at the highest standard after the aquarium closes. To this end, we will utilise our worldwide SEA LIFE network wherever we can, or find suitable facilities outside Merlin. In all cases, we will ensure that the welfare of the animals is not jeopardised at any time.
- In addition to Merlin's ongoing presence in Berlin, it runs attractions in more than 10 other locations in Germany, including the Heide Park and LEGOLAND® Deutschland resorts, the latter of which was expanded this year to include a Peppa Pig Theme Park. A LEGOLAND Discovery Centre in Hamburg will be opening soon. Merlin is aiming for general growth and diversification of its offering in Germany, but this may result in certain changes at individual locations - in this case Berlin.
For any questions, please contact:
Madame Tussauds Deutschland GmbH
