Jungle animals are set to give Hampshire economy a £74m boost

Marwell Zoo is set to open the state-of-the-art exhibit which will be full of rainforest animals.

Supported by a £1.5m grant from Enterprise M3 Local Enterprise Partnership, Tropical House is part of a £17m plan to strengthen Marwell Zoo as a tourism asset.

When open in March, it will attract an additional six per cent of visitors, increasing the zoo’s contribution to the local economy by £74.1m in terms of Gross Value Added (GVA) over the next five years.

James Cretney, chief executive, said: ‘We are delighted with the LEP’s involvement.

‘Far from just the grant, their guidance and support has allowed us to make greater inroads into the economy and provided invaluable introductions and networks with regard to our wider work.’