Future looks bleak for Bletchley Park after coronavirus forces closure

And the charity has admitted the future looks bleak for the park and all other tourist venues across the UK.

Chief executive officer of Bletchley Park Trust, Iain Standen, said: “This isn’t the first time that Bletchley Park has operated at unprecedented times of national crisis and it is the values of those that have and still work here - understanding, collaboration, integrity, perseverance, resilience – that we hold dear at this moment.

“Closing to the public has been the toughest decision I’ve had to make in my eight years as CEO, but the safety of the public, and our staff and volunteers, always comes first. Unfortunately, the implications of shutting our doors will be with us long after this crisis has passed.

"The coming months are usually our busiest time of year and we will have a challenge ahead of us to bridge the gap in our finances that this situation opens. We know we are not alone; many other independent heritage attractions and museums are facing tough times ahead.”

Mr Standen added: “Bletchley Park is an independent charity with no government funding. 95% of our income comes from our visitors, with much of this activity happening during the spring and summer months. Sadly, the picture looks very bleak now for British tourism.”

The park in Milton Keynes shut its doors at 5pm on Friday to help contain the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19).

"We had already introduced more stringent cleaning measures and encouraged social distancing where possible, but we now believe that it is necessary to close in order to protect the safety and wellbeing of all our visitors, colleagues and the community," said Mr Standen.

All upcoming events have been cancelled, including the VE Day 75 Weekend planned for May.

"We have been preparing in recent weeks in anticipation of this possibility by exploring creative digital ways to still share our story online and engage with our audiences, including developing new ‘behind the scenes’ content for our website and social media channels to distribute in the coming days and months," said Mr Standen.

Bletchley Park Trust is a registered charity, heritage attraction and independent museum. As an independent charity, it relies upon income from visitors and supporters to secure the long-term future of the site.