Merlin Entertainments has been named ‘Britain’s Best Brand 2013’ - an award which is linked to the Sunday Times HSBC International Track 200 a league table which ranks Britain’s mid-market private companies with the fastest-growing international sales.

Dr Hamish Stevenson, founder of Fastrack said that Merlin’s dynamic international growth strategy and iconic global brands such as Madame Tussauds, Sea Life and Legoland, has made the decision easy.

“Not only has Merlin seen phenomenal growth - now number two in the world with sales topping £1bn (US$1.59bn, €1.18bn) last year, 60 per cent of which are generated overseas - but the group has done this by building a fantastic portfolio of strong, distinctive global visitor attraction brands,” said Stevenson. “The equally strong Merlin umbrella brand provides both a cohesive and very clear global culture; and the guarantee of high levels of visitor satisfaction in every one of the group’s 98 attractions and eight hotels.”

Merlin has recently further expanded its portfolio with the recent acquisition of Istanbul’s Turkuazoo Aquarium – the brand’s first venture in Turkish market.