Zip World

Zip World is a Welsh outdoor adventure activity company based in Llanrwst, Wales, United Kingdom. The company operates four sites in Wales, primarily focused on zip lines and outdoor adventure activity courses. Since 2025, it is majority owned by Dolphin Capital.

History

Zip World was created by Sean Taylor, an ex-Royal Marines commando from the Conwy Valley, based on his military experiences using zip lines and sky-diving. Taylor focused on converting heritage industrial sites into adventure playgrounds, making North Wales into an important adventure activity centre in Europe. Taylor launched 'Treetop Adventures' in 2007 (now Zip World Fforest).

"Zip World" was launched in 2013 with 8 staff, with the opening of Zip World Velocity at Penrhyn quarry in March. In 2014, Zip World Titan and Bounce Below at Llechwedd Slate Caverns opened, followed by Zip World Caverns at the same location in 2015. Zip World Fforest, a redevelopment of Treetop Adventures, opened in 2016.

In August 2017, it became sponsors of Eirias Stadium in Colwyn Bay, branding it as , which was retained as the brand name until a new sponsor took over in June 2022.

In 2021, the company had 250 staff, with up to 3,500 visitors per day during the peak holiday periods. The company stated it was set to report a turnover of £10 million for 2021, with a profit of £5.5 million.

The company is said to be valued at almost £100 million by September 2022, and has ambitions to expand further, but remaining based in Wales and being regarded as a Welsh company. The company bought out a business operating in the Lake District and Manchester and is looking to the accommodation and sustainable transport sectors, while considering a rebrand by the end of 2022, potentially "ZW" to address their increasingly non-Zip line business.

In January 2025, it was majority sold to Dolphin Capital, with Taylor retaining a minority stake. The deal was valued at £100 million.

Sites

Zip World operates four sites, three in North Wales and one in South Wales. Three northern sites are in close proximity to each other and comprises sites at Penrhyn quarry, Llechwedd Slate Caverns, and Zip World Fforest near Betws-y-Coed. It also operates the Zip World Tower in Rhondda Cynon Taf in south Wales. Zip World was scheduled to open the Skyflyer airship in Rhyl, north Wales in July, then August 2022, however the launch was postponed to early 2023 due to bad weather and engineering issues.

Penrhyn Quarry

Zip World Penrhyn Quarry houses the world's fastest, and Europe's longest zip line, known as Velocity 2. The four parallel zip lines span almost across and over the quarry's lake, reaching speeds over .

Llechwedd

Zip World Llechwedd Adventures, based around the Llechwedd slate mines, offers a Deep Mine Tour of the caverns, an underground trampoline park known as Bounce Below, the world's largest underground zip wire course, and multiple stand-alone zip lines termed "Titan", including Europe's first four-person zip line as well as a shorter zip line. The site opened the world's first underground golf course in the site's caverns in 2022.

Fforest

Zip World Fforest houses the UK's only alpine coaster, Europe's largest net walkway above the ground, and Zip Safari 2, a hanging zip-line and obstacle course above ground. It also houses, a 'Tree Hoppers' beginner assault course, the Plummet 2 tandem drop high tower, Europe's highest giant swing Skyride 2, and a Fforest Coaster through woodlands.

Tower

Zip World Tower, near Aberdare in the Rhigos mountain range in South Wales, is situated at the former Tower Colliery coal mining site, housing Phoenix and Tower Flyer.

Proposed sites

The company was initially granted permission to set up a attraction between St John's Beacon and the Liverpool Central Library in 2020, but was scrapped following local opposition.

In 2021, Taylor also announced his ambitions to search for new sites, including one in Scotland, in three national parks in England, and one south of Dublin in Ireland. Although Taylor stated his preference for 8–10 sites in the UK, across key UK regions. Devon was stated at the time as being a leading contender for the company's next site and the first site outside Wales.

Potential sites for Zip World in the Lake District and Manchester have been proposed following the company's purchase of a business with operations in those locations in 2022, bringing the company's site count to potentially seven. In July 2022, a local partnership for the Lake District National Park, opened a survey over potential plans by Burlington Stone, proposing partnering with Zip World, for an "adventure tourism experience" at Elterwater quarry, Langdale, in the Lake District. 30,000 people signed an E-petition against the proposal.

In 2025, it plans to open a site at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in London and the Elterwater site.

References

{{Tourism in Wales
2013 establishments in Wales
Companies of Wales