Dome Celebrates 2 Millionth Visitor
Latest MORI survey shows visitor satisfaction remains high
Dome attendance set to beat 1999 UK record for paying attractions by June
The Dome celebrated the arrival of its two millionth visitor today as details of the latest MORI survey showed that levels of visitor satisfaction remained high.
Christine Sandlan from All Hallows, Kent, became the Dome's two millionth visitor when she arrived at the Dome with her son, daughter and their two teenage friends. Christine joined Dome Chief Executive PY Gerbeau and Millennium Show Performers in a glass of champagne to celebrate.
Christine won a unique prize package including a champagne toast and VIP tour, lunch in the Dome's top restaurant Acclaim and an all-expenses-paid return trip with first class travel and hotel included.
The return visit will include the opportunity to fly 150ft above the ground with the stars of the Dome's Millennium Show for which Christine has nominated her 13 year old daughter, Vicki.
Christine also received a commemorative medal inspired by the architectural drawings of the Dome, designed by Wendy Ramshaw.
Christine said:
"We are all really excited about being at the Dome. We all have different areas we are looking forward to seeing. I think Play will be our first stop followed by the Body. But most of all we are really looking forward to seeing the Show!"
PY Gerbeau, Dome Chief Executive, said:
"We are delighted to welcome our two millionth visitor to the Dome. We are already the UK's most popular paying tourist attraction, and by June we expect to have beaten the 1999 attendance record held by Alton Towers."
The English Tourism Council's 1999 attractions league table shows that the Dome has already exceeded the yearly attendance of the Natural History Museum (1,739,591), Legoland Windsor (1,620,000) and the Science Museum (1,480,000). By the beginning of June, attendance at the Dome is expected to have beaten the 1999 attendance records for all UK paying attractions, including Alton Towers (2,650,000), Madame Tussaud's (2,640,000) and the Tower of London (2,422,181).
Key highlights of the Dome's second MORI visitor survey - in which 1,009 visitors were interviewed face-to-face between 1-19 April 2000 - showed 84 per cent of visitors were 'satisfied' with their visit.
Significantly, only 13 per cent of visitors thought that 'there were too many queues' compared with 28 per cent in January - clearly reflecting the recent improvements made to wait times and visitor flows.
70 per cent of visitors thought that the Dome was 'good value for money.' 77 per cent of visitors would recommend the Dome to their friends, and 90 per cent rated the friendliness and welcome from the hosts as good. In addition, of those who watched the Millennium Show and Blackadder movie, 92 per cent and 91 per cent rated them as good respectively.
The Dome is supported by a Millennium Commission Lottery Grant.
