Euro Disney sales down, hit by attacks

Paris - The operator of Disneyland Paris said on Tuesday that sales in the last quarter fell as security concerns hit tourism, following terror attacks in the French capital and Brussels.

Strike action and poor weather also led to Euro Disney posting a 9% drop in sales to €327m between April and June, it said in a statement.

It blamed "difficult" external factors, including the jihadist shootings and suicide bombings in Paris that left 130 people dead in November and the Brussels attack in March that killed 32 people.

Tourism in France has taken a further battering more recently after an Algerian driver plunged his lorry into crowds celebrating Bastille Day in the city of Nice on July 14, killing 85 people.

Euro Disney's turnover for April-June was down 13% to €182m, with visitor numbers dropping 11% and the average visitor spending 2% less.

The group added that operating costs had gone up due to efforts to "improve the visitor experience" as Disneyland Paris gears up for its 25th anniversary next year, as well as extra security costs following the attacks.

Real estate activities were the only cause for cheer, earning €3m in the quarter thanks to land sales compared to €1m a year earlier.