Land’s End has announced a £600k investment in new facilities for the 2010 season – including a 4D cinema featuring the very latest in high-tech family entertainment.
The multi-sensory film experience, which combines 3D animation with moving seats, air blasts, water sprays, aromas and even leg ticklers, is currently under construction.
It will open on Monday, March 29, the first day of the Easter holidays, and is among just a handful of such cinemas in the country and the biggest in the south west.
Land’s End is replacing its 21-year old ‘Last Labyrinth’ attraction with the new 4D experience – The Curse of Skull Rock, at a cost of £525k.
The investment includes 100 high-tech seats costing £2k each, state-of-the-art projection equipment, digital surround-sound and special effects lighting.
Land’s End general manager David Bryans said: “This is a major investment in a high-tech all-weather attraction using an existing building at Land’s End and will offer the very latest in family entertainment to locals and visitors alike.
“4D thrusts the audience into the heart of the action with a combination of excitement, suspense and surprise and is all part of the Land’s End family experience.”
The £600k total investment package – which includes an upgrade of the neighbouring Land’s End Hotel’s 34 rooms and other enhancements in time for the start off the 2010 season – has been welcomed by Malcolm Bell, head of VisitCornwall.
He said: “With visitor expectations higher than ever it is essential that tourism businesses stay one step ahead of the game by continuing to invest in their facilities and services.
“Land’s End is one of the county’s most popular attractions and these latest developments mean that not only will the visitor experience be greatly enhanced, but being all weather it will also help Land’s End to strengthen its business during the autumn, winter and spring.”
Previously owned and developed by entrepreneur Peter de Savary, Land’s End was bought by leisure group Heritage Great Britain in 1996.
Visitor numbers were up 15% to 405,000 last year as more people took domestic holidays in the UK because of the economic downturn, and the continued strength of the Euro attracted more visitors from mainland Europe.
The new Land’s End 4D film experience is being installed by UK-based specialist contractors Simworx, who have installed similar facilities around the world.
