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Thomas Cook to open theme park
Thomas Cook has unveiled plans to open its very own theme park near Birmingham, promising to bring some of its overseas holiday experiences to the Midlands.
Thomas Cook World Attraction will open just outside Loughborough next year to mark the group’s 175th anniversary.
Loughborough was the original destination to which Thomas Cook operated his first ever holiday experience in 1841 from Leicester by train.
The theme park will feature various ‘lands’ based on the travel giant’s most popular holiday concepts and brands.
"With a pioneering heritage of offering differentiated experiences to suit all tastes and budget’s, the all-new Thomas Cook World attraction will offer a genuine UK alternative to a sunshine break abroad," said Sir Phil Tafter, head of attraction and theme park development, Thomas Cook Group.
On arrival, visitors will pass through a Victorian version of Fleet Street, a tribute to the London street where Thomas Cook opened his first travel agency in 1865.
Aquamania Wet & Wild will feature lazy rivers to crazy cannons, water slides and wave machines.
Club Classics will have white knuckle attractions inspired by the Club 18-30 brand, 72 bars and regular DJ sets in the Party Tent from the likes of Derek Geetar, Dyck Van Paul, Jez Spadenettle, and Justice Jack.
Air Tours will give visitors a 360 degree hang-gliding experience in the football pitch-sized ‘Smartline Arena’ and a 3D flight simulator based on this coming December’s sci-fi Blockbuster starring Harry Fordison, Ham Markill and Fishie Carrier.
Bev
Editor in chief Bev Fearis has been a travel journalist for 25 years. She started her career at Travel Weekly, where she became deputy news editor, before joining Business Traveller as deputy editor and launching the magazine’s website. She has also written travel features, news and expert comment for the Guardian, Observer, Times, Telegraph, Boundless and other consumer titles and was named one of the top 50 UK travel journalists by the Press Gazette.
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