New job with Blackpool Council for former Merlin boss

One of the leading figures in Blackpool’s tourism industry is set to take on a new role which will focus on a united vision for the resort.

Kate Shane is joining Blackpool Council after 13 years with Merlin, where most recently she was in charge of all the company’s attractions in the town which include Blackpool Tower, the Sandcastle Waterpark and Madame Tussauds.

She already has experience working with the council, which owns many of the venues but uses Merlin as its operating partner.

A Blackpool Council spokesperson said: “We are delighted to welcome Kate Shane to the position of managing director of Blackpool Council’s leisure portfolio working for the Blackpool Operating Company Ltd (Sandcastle Waterpark Company).

“This is a new position which will see Kate bring her skills and experience to work alongside us, in close partnership with other tourism businesses across the resort, to help drive forward the visitor economy by delivering a ‘One Blackpool’ approach to our leisure assets.”

Kate Shane said: “The ‘One Blackpool’ vision is about bringing all the tourism businesses together as a united force. We are not competing against each other, but all working together for the town.

“We want to create one message that is compelling in the tourism market to ensure visitors choose Blackpool.

“But it’s also about locals feeling the visitor attractions are for them too and about encouraging our young people to go into careers in tourism.

“There are some great career opportunities, and it is an exciting time with new hotels coming to the town, and things happening with our cultural heritage such as the launch of the Showtown museum.”

She joined Merlin in June 2011 after Blackpool Council bought leisure assets including The Tower and The Winter Gardens in November 2010. She was initially in charge of attractions at The Tower before heading up the entire Merlin cluster in Blackpool.

She said: “As general manager of places like The Tower I met some amazing people, such as older people who had met their partners at the ballroom and young people whose parents had brought them to the Tower as children, and now they were bringing their own families.

“Merlin has a great team in Blackpool and very talented people working across all the attractions.”

She said highlights included connecting staff in Blackpool with mentors from Merlin attractions around the world in places like Dubai, Orlando and Australia, as well as community initiatives such as the company’s food bank which ran during the Covid pandemic.

She added: “We have some very talented people in Blackpool and their opinions and ideas can improve the resort as a whole. We are not competing with each other so let’s share our good ideas.”

Her new role will sit within what is one of the council’s arms-length companies, and she will also continue in her position as chair of the Tourism BID (business improvement district).