Merlin Entertainments has announced plans to attract more multi-night stays at its Alton Towers theme park in Staffordshire, UK.

Announcing its Long Term Development Plan for the park, Merlin said it plans to expand the park over the next ten years by adding a number of new attractions each year - both family and thrill-orientated - to encourage guests to stay longer.

Ian Crabbe, divisional director of Alton Towers Resort, said that the group is also looking into the possibility of adding more accommodation, possibly in the form of a third hotel.

"The aim of this strategy is to increase the number of multi-night stays that we get at the resort," he said.

"Broadly, that means adding more attractions on a regular basis so there is simply too much to do in a single day.

"To support this - and at a later stage - we will also need to review the many different options open to us in supplying additional accommodation and other services"

Crabbe added that Merlin will also lengthen the opening hours at the park, as part of efforts to spread visitor volume over a longer period.