Ardent Leisure, the Australian-based leisure company which owns and operate attraction and leisure sites across Australia, New Zealand and the US, says its theme park business may not recover for at least 12 months.
The company experienced a loss of $83.6 million in the first half of 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Ardent Leisure pointed to its theme park venues on the Gold Coast, including Dreamworld, SkyPoint and WhiteWater, as being impacted by Covid-19 restrictions.
John Osborne, head of theme parks for Ardent Leisure, said the business is hoping to attract interstate visitors when border restrictions have been eased. “The Australian government’s vaccine program leaves us feeling optimistic about the prospect of a strong recovery, however, we believe that uncertainty is likely to prevail for at least the next 12 months,” said Osborne.
The operator is also hopeful that a new rollercoaster being installed at Dreamworld known the Steel Taipan will attract more visitors when it opens later in 2021.
