Eden Project losses double as visitor numbers fall and jobs go

Cornwall's Eden Project has revealed a doubling of losses and dwindling visitant numbers - arsenic it besides chopped dozens of jobs.

The attraction's celebrated domes are location to thousands of works taxon but it has precocious seen a 10% driblet successful radical done the gate.

It blamed "more challenging trading conditions successful South West tourism" arsenic visitors fell from 604,000 to 543,000 implicit the past fiscal year.

Pre-tax losses besides grew to £3.5m from £1.5m successful the twelvemonth to April, according to its latest accounts.

The institution said 75 jobs had been culled arsenic portion of a "major restructuring" to go much businesslike and trim employment costs.

It cited the emergence successful leader nationalist security contributions - which has enactment unit connected galore businesses - and the "general inflationary impact" of past year's fund arsenic peculiar challenges.

However, it said it remained a "must visit" determination for radical visiting the area.

"As successful erstwhile years, we saw a ample proportionality of first-time visitors on with welcoming backmost seasoned visitors," the institution added.

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The designer down the attraction, Sir Nicholas Grimshaw, died this period astatine the property of 85.

The Eden Project opened successful 2001, built successful an aged clay excavation adjacent St Austell - and 4 years agone hosted a reception for satellite leaders and Queen Elizabeth II arsenic portion of the G7 summit.

Another Eden Project is planned for Morecambe successful Lancashire, with operation acceptable to commencement successful 2028.