BUSINESS and tourism leaders in Coventry believe the city’s new prehistoric resident, Dippy the dinosaur, will roar the local economy to new heights during its three-year stay.
The Natural History Museum’s 292-bone, a 26-metre-long cast of a replica diplodocus skeleton is set to be unveiled in the Herbert Art Gallery and Museum on February 20.
Visit Coventry’s managing director Paul Jones said Dippy’s arrival was a ‘real coup’ for the city and would provide a boost to tourism.
He added Dippy would attract thousands of new visitors to the city and provide ‘significant benefit’ to Coventry’s wider economy.
Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce chief executive Corin Crane added Dippy’s arrival presented a fantastic opportunity for businesses to capitalise on the footfall that would be generated.
“To have this famous landmark on our doorstep for a prolonged period is especially pleasing, as it creates the potential for businesses in the city to tap into a longer-term income stream to help with ongoing issues such as rising costs.”
The original skeleton was discovered in Wyoming, USA in 1899 and its UK-based model was first unveiled at the Natural History Museum in 1905, where it stayed for 112 years before going on tour.
Dippy has also appeared in TV programmes and blockbuster films such as Paddington and Night at the Museum 3.
