Blackpool Tourism Limited


Blackpool Tourism Limited is a local authority-owned tourism company which operates numerous attractions in the British resort town of Blackpool - namely the Blackpool Tower, Sandcastle Waterpark, Showtown Museum and Madame [Tussauds Blackpool].
It is owned by Blackpool Council, who founded the company in 2025 to operate their owned attractions, which they had previously contracted operation for to Merlin Entertainments from 2010.

History

Prior to company launch

Blackpool Tourism Limited was originally Blackpool Operating Company Limited - a private company who operated the Sandcastle Waterpark on behalf of Blackpool Council. The company was bought by the council in 2003 and turned into a Local Authority Trading Company.
In 2010, Blackpool Council struck a deal with Leisure Parcs, the Trevor Hemmings-owned Blackpool tourism company, to purchase their attractions - which consisted of the Blackpool Tower, Winter [Gardens Blackpool|Winter Gardens] and Louis Tussauds Waxworks - for £38.9 Million. With exception of the Winter Gardens, which would be ran separately, the Council contracted Merlin Entertainments to operate the Tower and the Waxworks. For a two-year period starting in August 2022, operation of the Sandcastle Waterpark was transferred from BOCL to Merlin Entertainments.
In August 2024, Kate Shane, head of Merlin's Blackpool attractions, became managing director of Blackpool Operating Company Ltd. BOCL would take over operation of the town's Showtown Museum in February 2025.

As Blackpool Tourism Ltd

On June 4 2025, it was announced that the remaining council-owned attractions in Blackpool would no longer be operated by Merlin and instead be ran by Blackpool Operating Company Ltd, which in the process would be rebranded as Blackpool Tourism Ltd. BTL took over operation of the attractions from 1 August 2025.
Blackpool Tourism Ltd were announced as the sponsors of Blackpool FC's third football kit for the 2025/26 season in July 2025. In November 2025, BTL introduced an annual pass which allows passholders to make unlimited visits to attractions over a one-year period.