AM2 13th October 2015 issue 37

AM2 Find great staff

TM

The news & jobs magazine from Attractions Management

AM2.jobs

14 OCTOBER 2015 ISSUE 37

Mining and oil put a third of natural heritage at risk A new report has warned that nearly a third of the world’s natural heritage sites are at significant risk from oil and gas drilling and mining. The report from the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), titled Safeguarding Outstanding Natural Value, says that 31 per cent of World Heritage Sites are under threat worldwide, including Virunga – Africa’s first national park – in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Sichuan giant panda sanctuaries in China and the Great Barrier Reef in Australia. Overall, world heritage sites cover just one per cent of the

Natural heritage worldwide is under threat from mining and oil planet, but the number of at-risk sites is on the up. The 31 per cent figure has risen significantly from 2014, where the annual

Dismaland to become shelter for Calais migrants After its barnstorming success, Banksy’s Dismaland will be dismantled and sent to migrants camps in Calais, France, to provide temporary accommodation. In a post on the attraction’s website titled “Coming soon... Dismaland Calais”, it was revealed that materials taken from Dismaland will be repurposed to build shelters for migrants. “All the timber and fixtures from Dismaland are being sent to the ‘jungle’ refugee camp near Calais to build shelters,” read a short statement. “No online tickets will be available.” More: http://lei.sr?a=U3H8f_A

GET AM2

report said 24 per cent of natural heritage sites were at risk. Africa is seriously affected by the issue, where nearly

two-thirds (61 per cent) of the continent’s natural sites are under threat of exploration for fossil fuels or minerals. While not all the sites deemed “at risk” are subject to fossil fuel exploration, the listing includes many sites which would be significantly affected by concessions for extraction, risk from transport and infrastructure needed for such development. In the report, the WWF urged companies to create “no-go” areas within natural heritage sites and for companies to be proactive in disclosing activities near or within natural sites. More: http://lei.sr?a=T7M8C_A

Comcast buys US$1.5bn Universal Japan majority Comcast has made its largest purchase outside of the US with the entertainment conglomerate buying a majority stake in Universal Studios Japan for US$1.5bn (€1.3bn, £988m). Universal’s number of foreign visitors to its park in Japan have more than doubled since it opened its Harry Potter attraction in 2014. According to company statistics, more than 12 million people visited the park in the last financial year – an increase from 10.5 million on previous figures a year earlier. In a statement, Comcast said it will buy 51 per cent of USJ Co – the holding company which owns the Universal theme park in Osaka – in a deal which will give the park an enterprise value of US$6.2bn (€5.5bn, £4.1bn).

Harry Potter has been a big boost for USJ According to Comcast, the purchase plan had been in the works since it acquired NBCUniversal in 2011, with the sale finalised at the start of October. More: http://lei.sr?a=a8B5f_A