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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Travel
Mark Sweney

‘Big metal rollercoasters beat AI’: Legoland owner’s boss on the thrill of theme parks in a tech world

A ride at Legoland Shanghai
Merlin’s latest attraction is Legoland Shanghai, its first in the world’s second largest theme park market. Photograph: Lego

Artificial intelligence is in the process of upending the business models of companies all over the world, but when it comes to the $100bn (£73bn) global theme park business the thrill of “big metal” rollercoasters is still the biggest draw.

Fiona Eastwood, the boss of the sector’s second biggest operator, Merlin Entertainments, says that in a world dominated by battles over screen time it is real-life experiences that provide families with an “antidote to phones and digital technology”.

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