Alton Towers is giving away 30,000 free theme park tickets to people with certain jobs

As the UK continues to ease out of lockdown and more parts of the country open up, it’s looking increasingly likely that a lot of people will be opting for a staycation this year.

And if you’re a keyworker, Alton Towers may just have the perfect incentive to entice you to travel south of the border once Scotland is on the final leg of the road out of lockdown journey.

The famous theme park is giving away 30,000 free tickets through the launch of its ‘Big Merlin Thank You’ initiative.

Alton Towers closed in March as part of the nationwide effort to stop the spread of coronavirus and since reopening a few weeks ago, it has already brought magic back into the lives of many families in England.

Things are very different at the theme park now – with changes that include social distancing and compulsory face masks on rides – but park visitors aren’t letting it stop them from enjoying the full experience that’s on offer.

And now Alton Towers wants to give something back to the people who have worked hard throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, by giving away 30,000 tickets around the world – including 10,000 here in the UK, reports Birmingham Mail.

Alton Towers isn’t the only popular location on board. Other UK attractions including Chessington World of Adventures, LEGOLAND Windsor, Thorpe Park, The Bear Grylls Adventure and some Madame Tussauds and SEA LIFE Centres will also be included in the ticket giveaway.

Will Campbell-Lamerton, Partnerships and Operations Manager at Blue Light Tickets, said: “In these difficult times, we have been blown away by Merlin’s generosity.

“We know that free tickets to leisure days out will spread the message of ‘thank you’ to NHS, healthcare and emergency service workers, who’ve shown superhero strength and dedication in recent months.

“For those who haven’t been able to spend much time with their families during the Covid-19 lockdown, either as a result of long working hours or social distancing, we hope that a free day out at a Merlin resort/attraction will give some respite to those who need it most.”

Sandra Hazel, Charity Head Merlin’s Magic Wand:  “We would like to say a Big Merlin Thank You to the emergency and essential frontline workers who have played a vital role in the UK’s response to the pandemic.

“Their dedication and tireless effort is hugely appreciated by the whole nation, and we are delighted to be able to offer them a fun day out through the Blue Light Card scheme.”

A total of 3,000 of the tickets will be divided equally across 30 different companies in the UK whose employees have continued to work throughout the pandemic.

These include:

• Teachers via the ASCL

• Royal Mail postal staff

• Compass Group UK & Ireland – the UK’s largest food and support services company (who have been working in healthcare, education and defence as well as supporting key workers within business and industry sectors)

• WHSmith (for their post office colleagues who provided vital postal and banking services on the high street and for their store colleagues across over 100 hospitals who served frontline NHS staff)

• Council workers across the UK including refuse collectors

• A range of the major high street supermarkets including Tesco

• Food takeaway delivery companies